The fight between the Premier League and Man City is threatening to “break up one of the best leagues in the world”, according to a former Premier League chairman.
Clubs will be sent updated rule change proposals by the Premier League following the first full top-flight meeting since the outcome of Man City’s legal challenge was made public.
Man City challenged the league’s associated party transaction (APT) rules on competition law grounds, via arbitration.
The arbitration panel found the rules – which are designed to ensure any deals between clubs and entities linked to their ownership are done for fair market value (FMV) – were unlawful because they excluded shareholder loans.
Man City said that meant all the APT rules were void, and accused the Premier League of misleading the other 19 clubs in its initial interpretation of the panel judgement.
The Premier League is since understood to have sought clarification from the panel over the implications of the judgement, but in the meantime has been canvassing clubs over changing the aspects of the rules found to be unlawful or unfair.
The league, in co-operation with its clubs, is now examining how to include shareholder loans within the APT rules and requested feedback by October 10 from clubs about the shareholder loans they have, or have had in the last three years.
Two Premier League working groups met ten days ago to help further scrutinise proposals for rule amendments which were put to all 20 clubs – including Man City – at a hybrid meeting lasting around an hour on Tuesday.
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Following feedback provided at the meeting, the league will now further update the proposals and recirculate them to clubs. It is understood the feedback was around amendments, rather than any suggestion the proposals be scrapped and taken back to the drawing board.
And now former Everton chairman Keith Wyness reckons Man City have “inflamed tensions” to a point where there could “break up” the Premier League.
Wyness told Football Insider: “Man City have inflamed tensions even further. The clubs have been pretty angry about that, and we’re starting to see some real division between the clubs.
“I’m hoping all this anger is going to lead to a settlement and peace breaking out.
“When people get this angry, they sometimes realise in self-interest that peace is needed. Otherwise, you’re going to break up one of the best leagues in the world.
“We’re coming towards that stage now and I’d be very interested to see what last week’s meeting threw up.
“It’s going to be a big indication of where the politics is going to go in the coming weeks.”
