Do the clubs now get to see the deals everyone else has done? Is commercially sensitive information now fair game? Can one club see how much a rival is getting and try to offer a better deal in future? Good luck with that.
Despite claim and counter claim, at the heart of the issue lies a simple argument. That the horse bolted when Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia were able to take over two football clubs. That this was an attempt to close the stable door with the horse over the hills and far away.
As the Premier League and its members sift through the repercussions, the separate case involving City’s alleged 115 breaches of financial rules continues, in its fourth week of 10. There will be no obvious knock-on effect but that is not to say there will be no impact.
City’s alleged rule-breaking sits outside the amended APT timeframe and so can be dealt with separately, hence why the hearing started before the APT verdict was delivered. However, the feeling of unease among those who want the club punished will only, you would imagine, grow.
City will now attempt to recover costs and potentially damages. This is an expensive business and it is the clubs who will end up paying should they be successful. That said, the legal fees triggered in this case will be a drop in the ocean compared with those currently racking up on the back of the 115.
Lord Pannick KC, who oversaw City’s fight against APT amendments, is back in action for the club. He does not come cheap and is not alone.
Mail Sport understands that some of City’s rivals were keen on an out-of-court settlement being reached, but that time clearly appears to have passed.
There is already collateral damage. More will follow. The battle may be over but the war rages on.
