Liverpool link up with top lawyer as the fight over Man City's 115 charges begins
As fierce as their battles on the pitch have been in recent seasons, Liverpool’s rivalry with Man City is seemingly even more intense in the...
As fierce as their battles on the pitch have been in recent seasons, Liverpool’s rivalry with Man City is seemingly even more intense in the boardroom.
Liverpool are the only club in the last seven seasons to deprived Pep Guardiola’s Man City of a Premier League title. Under Arne Slot, they are top of the pile and looking to puncture that dominance again.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 1 |  LiverpoolLiverpool | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 19 | 6 | 13 | 25 |
| 2 |  Man CityManchester City | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 21 | 11 | 10 | 23 |
| 3 |  Nottm ForestNottingham Forest | 10 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 19 |
| 4 |  ChelseaChelsea | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 20 | 12 | 8 | 18 |
| 5 |  ArsenalArsenal | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 17 | 11 | 6 | 18 |
| 6 |  Aston VillaAston Villa | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 17 | 15 | 2 | 18 |
When Liverpool last won the title in the pandemic-stricken 2019-20 campaign, Man City were under investigation by the Premier League for allegations of financial misconduct.
That was not known at the time – at least, not by fans – and the Premier League only went public with the 115 charges they had levelled at Man City in February last year.
And while Arsenal’s feud with Man City has taken the spotlight in recent months, relations between Liverpool and the 10-time Premier League champions are increasingly strained.
Liverpool, for example, were one of a handful of clubs to give evidence in favour of the Premier League during the recent tribunal that saw City challenge their associated party transaction (APT) rules.
The 115 charges hearing meanwhile is ongoing, with City maintaining their absolute innocence as they have all along, citing an “irrefutable body of evidence”.
However, if City should be found guilty, they could now be facing a deluge of compensation claims, as well as the threat of a points deduction, fine or even relegation.
Premier League clubs reserve right to seek compensation over Man City’s 115 charges
Man City’s 115 charges related to alleged financial breaches dating between 2009 and 2018, including misreporting contractual information and failure to comply with Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).
Those alleged offences were reported by German media outlet Der Spiegel on 5 November 2018 meaning that they are, as of today, beyond the six-year statute of limitation period.
However, The Times have now reported that several Premier League clubs have reserved the right to seek compensation should Man City be proven guilty.
The identities of the clubs are not disclosed.
But any club that missed out on a European place or a league title during the period of alleged offences, which includes Liverpool in 2013-14, theoretically could have the right to claim.
Liverpool investors RedBird Capital hire top legal mind
While there is no indication that two events are not linked, it is interesting that one of FSG‘s biggest investors hired a new general counsel just before the City news broke.
RedBird Capital bought a £533m stake in Fenway Sports Group in 2021 and have several links corporate links with Liverpool, as well as being outright owners of AC Milan.
Interestingly, RedBird also have business connections with Man City’s de-facto owner Sheikh Mansour.
Last week, RedBird named Janet Nova as a new partner in the firm. She previously represented the NFL in several landmark legal cases and will now act as RedBird’s general counsel.
Nova will not work directly with Liverpool, who have their own in-house legal team.
However, it is likely that there will be at least some level of consultation between FSG, RedBird and Liverpool on the increasingly nebulous world of football law.
The Premier League spent more than £45m on legal fees last season alone, with costs likely to spiral as a result of the Man City case.
The new independent football regulator, the row of commercial deals in the Premier League, plus the fallout from the seismic ECJ case involving Lassana Diarra mean Liverpool will be on their guard.
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