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The original was posted on /r/soccer by /u/Sparksquidme on 2025-08-06 11:15:33+00:00.
Original Title: Premier League fears over legal bills from Chelsea and Man City cases. Senior figures believe case for Manchester City’s 130 alleged breaches has cost both sides £200million over five years, with top lawyers charging thousands of pounds an hour.
Premier League club chiefs are increasingly concerned at the legal bill from cases involving Manchester City and Chelsea.
The league’s operating expenses rose by £81million for 2023-24, according to its latest annual accounts, with “an increase in legal fees due to club regulatory matters” cited as a reason along with the hiring of additional staff and an increase in wider football support. That increase was on top of a £44million rise in operating expenses in 2022-23.
Senior figures in football have also been told that the cost to both sides of the Premier League’s case against City for 130 alleged rule breaches may have topped £200million over the past five years, with top lawyers charging thousands of pounds an hour. Other sources say it is impossible to calculate the actual figure at this stage.“
“The sums involved are eye-watering,” one club chief told The Times. “And the money that is going to the lawyers is money that could have gone to the clubs.”As previously reported, the Premier League’s budget for legal costs in 2023-24 was about £48million, six times the amount originally budgeted for.
As well as the case regarding the 130 alleged rule breaches, the Premier League has also been embroiled in legal action brought by City over the past year in relation to its Associated Party Transaction rules. The league made amendments to those rules as a result of City’s initial action. However, the club has issued another challenge and a hearing is scheduled for September.
An investigation into Chelsea for alleged irregular payments during Roman Abramovich’s ownership, which was self-reported by the new owners — Clearlake Capital and Todd Boehly — is now into its third year after the club provided new information
In June, a commission ruled that the Premier League should pay costs totalling £872,000 for a case in which Nottingham Forest admitted breaching PSR.
The cost of the Premier League’s first case against Everton amounted to £4.9million, but a commission ruled that the club needed to cover only £1.7million of that.
New Premier League rules state that anyone sitting on an arbitration panel must confirm they are able to devote “sufficient time, diligence and industry to ensure the expeditious and efficient conduct of the arbitration” and avoid costly delay