MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester City and the Premier League were both claiming victory on Monday after the conclusion of the first of two high-profile clashes between the pair.
Four-time defending champion City legally challenged the league’s Associated Party Transaction (APT) Rules, which are intended to safeguard the “competitive balance” of the world’s most popular soccer league.
Both City and the league said they “welcomed” the findings of an arbitration panel. City said the rules had been found to be “unlawful” and that the league had “abused its dominant position.”
The league said the tribunal had found the rules to be “necessary” and had “rejected the majority of Manchester City’s challenges.”
The findings of the tribunal were published on Monday. They came at a time when City is also facing more than 100 charges of alleged financial breaches.
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James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer