La Liga chief Javier Tebas claims Spanish League have filed complaint against Manchester City for alleged EU competition breaches
La Liga president Javier Tebas has said that the Spanish league has filed a complaint against Premier League giants Manchester City for an alleged breach of EU competition Law. These rules are concerned with non-EU states granting foreign subsidies to companies indulging in financial activities in the internal market.
According to Sky Sports, La Liga's complaint alleges that Manchester City have received foreign subsidies from the United Arab Emirates. That has allowed the club to make better signings and compete more efficiently at the highest level. It's worth noting that the Premier League giants fall under the ownership of City Football Group since 2008 - headed by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
In his statement, La Liga president Javier Tebas spoke about La Liga's complaint against Manchester City (via Sky Sports):
"All they do is they think about how they can avoid the rules and regulations. We have reported this to the European Union with facts and figures. Why? Because it's an English team that is not part of the EU, but they have commercial activities in Europe.
"It's really important that all clubs are subject to transparency rules and governance and real competition in the financial and sporting side of their business."
According to La Liga's complaint, the Sky Blues have access to resources outside of normal market conditions. That enables the club to sign players and coaches beyond what would be allowed under usual market regulations. It also leads to major sponsorship deals that lead to an unfair competition in the market.
Sky Sports further reported that several meetings have been held on the matter. However, La Liga is still waiting to hear the decision from the European Commission. The report added that City have denied all such charges levied by the Spanish league.
Manchester City facing 115 charges of breach of financial regulations in legal battle with Premier League
In February 2023, Manchester City were charged with 115 accounts of alleged financial breach by the Premier League. However, the total number of charges could level up to 130 on the basis of their breakdown. City have denied all charges levied against them.
The court hearing for the same began in September last year, with final arguments concluding in December. An anonymous three-person panel is reviewing the charges and arguments to reach a decision. City's major charges include several alleged breaches of the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules over a period of nine years (2009-2018).
During this period, the Sky Blues won seven Premier League titles, three FA Cups, and one UEFA Champions League title. In the 2022-23 season, they won the treble, with triumphs in the Champions League, Premier League and the FA Cup.
There's no clear indication about the degree or kind of punishment or legal repurcussions the English giants could face should they be found guilty. As per Sky Sports, multiple options, including stripping them of titles, a major point deduction or relegation have been put on the table.