Aston Villa owner Nassef Sawiris reveals why he is backing Man City in their civil war against the Premier League over sponsorship rules

Aston Villa owner Nassef Sawiris has spoken out on his club’s decision to stand with Manchester City in their ongoing battle with the Premier League.

City have challenged the Premier League’s sponsorship rules amid a row over associated party transactions (APT), and a vote on potential changes is set to take place on Friday.

However, Mail Sport revealed on Tuesday that Villa wrote to all top-flight sides in an email ‘strongly recommending’ the proposed ballot is postponed just days after City also called for the vote to be pushed back.

Sawiris has now explained his thinking, as he believes delaying the vote until after the Government’s Independent Football Regulator is brought in will result in a more satisfactory outcome for all Premier League clubs.

‘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,’ Sawiris told The Telegraph.

‘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. 

City, led by owner Sheikh Mansour (front left), chairman Khaldoon Al-Mubarak (front centre) and CEO Ferran Soriano (front right), have challenged the Premier League’s sponsorship rules 

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters vowed that amendments to sponsorship rules would be made ‘quickly and effectively’ but City and Villa want to delay Friday’s vote on them

‘With the imminent arrival of the Government’s Independent Football Regulator, it is more important than ever that the Premier League can present itself to the regulator with a united front. In our view, this will be far more easily achieved if the APT vote is held in February and supported unanimously by all clubs.’

Villa have raised concerns after City also wrote to clubs last week to urge a delay to the vote, claiming the Premier League’s proposed changes to the rules remained ‘unlawful’ and raising the prospect of further legal action.

City initially took the league to a tribunal following amendments to its regulations on APTs – commercial deals with parties linked to club owners – this year.

In September, a panel ruled sections of the rules unlawful, in the most part because shareholder loans – monies lent to clubs by those with stakes of more than 5 per cent – were excluded from the league’s fair market value (FMV) test.

Following the verdict top-flight chief executive Richard Masters assured clubs that amendments could be made ‘quickly and effectively’. That claim was rubbished by City’s legal counsel Simon Cliff, who accused Masters of attempting to mislead in his own email to clubs.

In a letter City shared with the other 19 sides, the Premier League attacked City’s position, accusing its own champions of making ‘repeated and baseless assertions’.

While the Premier League declined to comment, Mail Sport believes the competition is determined to press on with Friday’s vote, despite the protests of City and Villa.