Man City may take Premier League FFP case to High Court, lawyer says

Manchester City could soon test the limits of the Premier League’s financial‑fair‑play arbitration by taking the case to the High Court, leading sports lawyer Dan Chapman told TEAMtalk exclusively on Tuesday. The club’s independent commission was found guilty of breaching most of the rules it was accused of breaking and of failing to co‑operate with the investigation.

Legal groundwork and deadline

City’s legal team, headed by Lord Pannick KC, is already preparing an appeal ahead of the October 2 deadline. CEO Ferran Soriano has confirmed the club will pursue “all other legal avenues available to us in order to win the case”, prompting Chapman to suggest the dispute could move beyond the agreed arbitration process.

Chapman, Managing Partner and Head of Sports Law at Leathes Prior, explained that a Section 68 challenge – alleging serious procedural irregularity causing substantial injustice – is the most likely route. He warned the threshold is “exceptionally high” and that mere procedural errors would not suffice.

Precedents and chances of success

Manchester City previously challenged an arbitration award in 2021 over arbitrator impartiality, but that effort failed, as did a similar challenge by Newcastle United the same year. A rare successful case involved AFC Fylde and Fleetwood Town, where the High Court set aside an award after proving the arbitrator had corresponded with the FA without informing the parties.

Chapman noted that such successes are “extremely rare” and that the Independent Commission’s written reasons – including findings of alleged sham contracts used to inflate revenues by some £900 million – make any future challenge particularly difficult.

He added that given the length of the arbitration, the extensive legal representation involved, and the detailed Core Decision findings, “it is difficult to envisage how a High Court challenge could be successful”. The statement was not a miss, but a clear indication of the club’s resolve.

While the Premier League rules require disputes to be resolved through arbitration, the narrow exceptions allow clubs to approach the courts in limited circumstances. Should City proceed, the case would become a landmark test of the arbitration framework within English football.