Man City’s rivals ‘frightened’ about huge payout – Keith Wyness
Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness has insisted the figures Premier League clubs will have to pay towards the Man City legal battle are “frightening”.
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 – insisted top-flight clubs will be “very concerned” with how top-flight chiefs are fighting against the English champions in the courtroom.
According to The Telegraph (25 September), clubs fear the legal costs of the cases involving Man City and other sides will run into multiple millions of pounds and reduce the share of the central funds from broadcast and commercial deals.
Everton, Nottingham Forest and Leicester City have already been probed over breaches of financial rules.
City kicked off their 115 charges case with the Premier League in London last month and have also been fighting the league over their Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules.
Wyness slams ‘ridiculous’ Man City legal costs
Wyness told Football Insider‘s Insider Track podcast: “It’s very concerning for those other clubs.
“The Premier League were six times over their legal budget last year, and we’re now looking at even more.
“It’s ridiculous, and the money will come out of the club’s share of the broadcast rights. It’s frightening.
“It’s going to get to a big number and the clubs will be very concerned about how the Premier League are fighting this.
“Some serious questions have got to be asked of the chairperson, Alison Brittain, about how it got to this stage.
“We understand that the Premier League has a job to enforce these rules. My argument is that they have not enforced them in a way which is consistent.
“When Scudamore was the boss, he would’ve brought clubs into the broom cupboard behind closed doors and got the punishment sorted without going public.
“Masters or Brittain have not been able to do that without getting into protracted and expensive legal battles.
“It could’ve been done behind closed doors.”
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