Aston Villa Joins Manchester City in Opposing New APT Regulations

Nassef Sawiris, owner of Aston Villa, has announced that the club will align with Manchester City in voting against the amendments proposed by the Premier League to its rules governing commercial agreements. Sawiris expressed his belief that an “embattled” Premier League requires a “fresh start.” Top-flight clubs are scheduled to vote on these modifications to the Associated Party Transaction regulations (APTs) during a Premier League meeting this Friday. Sawiris, identified as Egypt’s richest man, contended that the league needed a “fresh start” and, consequently, the vote on APTs should be postponed until February to enhance the likelihood of achieving “unanimous support.” Manchester City has already sent communications to the 19 other clubs, conveying their “fundamental concern” regarding the Premier League’s proposed amendments, which they assert are “unlawful.” In October, both Manchester City and the Premier League each claimed victory following a decision from an arbitration panel concerning APTs. In a statement released to the Telegraph, Sawiris confirmed that Villa “would be voting against” the APT changes. “In our view, a vote in 90 days on amended terms taking into consideration the tribunal’s findings will have a significantly greater chance of securing the unanimous support of all 20 Premier League clubs,” he said. “Crucially, a unanimous vote will present a fresh start for an embattled Premier League that began with the failed attempt to launch a Super League in 2021.” Sawiris emphasized that it was “more important than ever” for the Premier League to present a “united front,” especially in light of the government’s proposed new football regulator. He added: “In our view, this will be far more easily achieved if the APT vote is held in February and supported unanimously by all clubs.” Among the proposed revisions to the APT rules, the Premier League aims to subject shareholder loans to a fair market value assessment and to reverse amendments that were made in February. Sawiris also indicated his desire for the Premier League to avoid incurring any further “astronomical” legal costs. In an 11-page letter reviewed by the BBC, the Premier League communicated to Manchester City that it “rejects in the strongest possible terms the repeated and baseless assertions” that “either the league or its representatives have acted in any way contrary to the league’s obligations as a regulator, or has ‘misled’ clubs.”