Liverpool could submit legal action against Man City next month over 115 Premier League charges
Liverpool could be one of several clubs to submit a legal notice against Manchester City next month amid their financial battle against the Premier League. The hearing regarding the 115-plus charges, which Man City deny in full, is currently ongoing.
The outcome of the seismic case is expected to be delivered early next year, upon which either party can appeal the verdict. This would further elongate the case timeline. If Man City are ultimately found guilty of the most severe allegations, rival clubs could sue the Blues for loss of earnings.
In order to do this, clubs must submit a legal notice that reserves their right to potentially seek compensation. This protocol caveats extra time for the complainant to consider whether to indeed press forward with suing an entity over a breach of contract, or not.
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It is essentially a warning to a business that it might receive a lawsuit, but that the complainant needs more time to consider whether to officially bring it forward. As per The 1980 Limitation Act, such a legal notice must be submitted within six years of becoming aware of a possible violation of terms.
“It is not something clubs would want to do before knowing the outcome of the commission but they may very well feel that they have no choice,” an unnamed lawyer told the Telegraph, which points out that November 5 marks six years since German outlet Der Spiegel first published allegations of illicit financing against Man City. The lawyer, who advises Premier League clubs, inferred that Liverpool might be among the clubs most likely to sue.
They added: “Clubs who have been competing with City for major trophies and European qualification would potentially have most at stake. But it all ultimately depends on what the commission finds and the result of any appeal, so this could go on for many months yet.”
The Telegraph suggests Man City are taking legal advice on how best to proceed over the fact that the Premier League took until February 2023 to level charges before last month’s hearing finally began, given the allegations relate to instances between 2009 and 2018. The hearing itself is taking place outside of public access.
But Man City could learn if Liverpool, Everton, or any other club, intends to sue them upon a guilty verdict by way of a legal notice. Clubs may have just under four weeks to submit the notice.
The hearing regarding the financial charges is separate to the Associated Party Transactions [APT] case that both Man City and the Premier League claimed victory from earlier this week.