Man City v Premier League: Wyness can’t believe ‘incredible’ legal development
Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness has suggested Man City’s legal resources are “incredible” as their legal fight with the Premier League gets underway.
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, the 66-year-old – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – claimed the league’s legal budget will have to increase “even more”, despite already sky-rocketing from £5million to £20million.
Man City’s legal action against the Premier League started on Monday (10 June), with the champions attempting to end Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules and arbitration set to last two weeks.
City are suing for damages as they accuse top-flight rules of being anti-competitive and discriminatory towards the Gulf states.
Under APT rules, clubs are prevented from inflating commercial deals with owner-linked companies as current agreements are assessed to be of fair market value.
Man City resources are ‘incredible’ – ‘this really irks me’, says Wyness
Wyness has claimed top lawyers are having a “field day” – with City also set to defend 115 alleged financial breaches later this year.
He told Football Insider‘s Insider Track podcast: “The Premier League legal budget has already gone up from £5million to £20million – a factor of four times.
“It’s going to go up more and more.
“That’s what I’ve always argued against – keeping lawyers out of football.
“Our learned friends are having a field day right now.
“Man City have apparently got four KCs working with them on this case, which is incredible.
“Lord Pannick, who is the granddaddy of them all, and three other major eminent KCs are working with him.
“There’s the legal bills, the distraction, the time – and it’s not to do with football. That’s what irks me about this whole thing.”
In other news, 29-year-old tells Man City he wants to leave.
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