Connect with us

Uncategorized

PL clubs seek expulsion and £1bn in damages from Man City as ATP legal action thwarts EFL deal

Published

on

The end of the 2023/24 Premier League season has already seen some seismic moves that will take effect next season, one being the updated VAR rules.

Elsewhere, a legal battle within the English top flight is brewing as Manchester City launched ‘unprecedented legal action’ against the Premier League as they see themselves as victims of ‘discrimination’ because of the Associated Party Transactions (APT) rules and that the ‘tyranny of the majority’ is attempting to halt their progress as a club.

Their attempt to rip up the Premier League’s voting structure is simply mind-boggling as it requires a super-majority of 14 clubs to pass new rules. City describes this as “the tyranny of the majority” which limits their freedom to make money with rules on sponsorship deals.

These rules forbid related companies (such as Etihad Airways sponsoring a team backed by Abu Dhabi) from injecting cash above the commercial rate determined by an independent assessor. Yet, City claims they are being held back by legacy clubs that want to monopolize success at their expense.

The extraordinary case will be heard from next week and should last two weeks. However, it is pertinent to note that there were longstanding APT laws and Premier League regulations to make sure sponsorship deals aren’t being artificially inflated. 

This is happening amidst the backdrop of the 115 charges City is facing for allegedly breaching these sponsorship rules and their hearing against the Premier League is only a deflection tactic with the hearing for their alleged breaches taking place in November.

It is thought that success in the ATP case could blow a big dent in their FFP charges.

City have won the past four Premier League titles and more than 57% of the available domestic trophies over the past seven years. have also seen an astronomical rise in demand and sales over the past decade. This makes them the most dominant side in top-flight history – more dominant than Liverpool in the Seventies and Eighties (41%), and Manchester United in the Nineties (33).

It is painting the completely absurd picture of a club that wants the liberty to make more money than they currently have, more dominance than they now enjoy and more freedom to spend on players with their bench already worth more than the first team of most of their rivals.

Full-on Civil War

Man City’s unprecedented legal challenge feels like a threat to the English game as if successful, it will blow up the rules determining the fair value of commercial deals and any semblance of a level playing field financially.

More importantly, it poses a great risk to the football pyramid in England as this legal issue was one of the key factors in the Premier League’s failure to agree to a financial deal that is vital for the future of the English Football League (EFL).

EFL clubs are hoping to receive an extra £ 150 million per season over six years from the Premier League under the so-called “New Deal For Football”, in addition to the existing £ 110 million in solidarity payments and £ 40 million in youth development funding. But the negotiations among top-flight clubs collapsed only a few weeks after City filed their claim against the Premier League on February 16.

Other Premier League clubs are reluctant to commit extra funds to the EFL if the financial rules limiting spending in the Premier League are deemed unlawful. If they have to spend more to try to keep pace with clubs like City, then it is even more important to hold on to their funds.

In fact, between 10 to 12 clubs have opposed the new deal for the lower divisions.

£1bn in damages

Elsewhere, some Premier League clubs detect foul play from City and are suing them for £1billion as they believe the hearing against the Premier League is taking place now to secure further sponsorship deals ahead of next season, while also pointing out that City was initially in favour of the sponsorship rules they now claim are unlawful.

The report says:

‘Some clubs may pursue compensation claims totalling more than £1billion against the English champions if they are found guilty of any or all of 115 Premier League charges for breaches of financial regulations. The clubs have sought legal advice and could pursue what they call “placing claims”, meaning compensation for not finishing above City in the league. The 115 charges are due to be heard at a separate hearing in November; City denied any wrongdoing relating to the charges.

‘There is an appetite among some clubs for the independent tribunal hearing the case concerning the 115 charges to not only sanction City with a heavy points deduction but also apply rules that enable the league to expel a club from membership. Clubs have no real desire to see City stripped of previous titles (they have been champions eight times since 2011-12), but they do expect an appropriate level of punishment should there be a guilty verdict.

‘Clubs are furious with City for launching this claim against the Premier League when, The Times can reveal, in November 2021 City initially approved recommended changes to the same Associated Party Transactions (APT) rules they are now claiming are unlawful and anti-competitive.’

For what it’s worth, City are in defence mode ahead of their hearing for the 115 charges and appears willing to spark a civil war among clubs and blow up the structures governing the top flight rather than face accountability for their failure to adhere to rules.

The shameless hypocrisy of the City owners has finally come out to play in the display of the footballing world: 

The same people who said they were investing in City because they cared about regenerating the area are now insistent on getting their way or stopping community funding. They agreed to the commercial deals which they now say are illegal. They now want to destroy the competitive balance and democratic ethos of Premier League decision-making.

It will cause massive headlines in the weeks and months to come, but this legal battle could shake the foundations of English football for decades.  

Continue Reading

Uncategorized

Have Manchester City Women already wrapped up the WSL title

Published

on

(Stock ID: 2511091541)

Manchester City Women are eight points clear at the top of the Women’s Super League. Each week that passes makes it harder to see anyone catching them, and fans following the title race closely can on the LiveScore Bet app to keep up with results, fixtures and key moments as they happen.

With the season moving into its final stretch, City have combined consistency, control and attacking power in a way none of their rivals have managed to match. The gap at the top is not just about points, it is about authority. City are setting the standard match after match.

The numbers tell the story

The statistics behind City’s season are difficult to dismiss. They have won 13 of their 15 league matches so far, losing just twice. This isn’t just good form, but it’s title-winning form. One defeat came at the very start of the season in a 2-0 loss to Chelsea, while the other was a recent and narrow 1-0 loss to Arsenal. Outside of those two games, City have been near perfect.

They have scored 41 goals in those 15 matches and conceded just 13. That demonstrates how balanced their performances have been. The attacking output shows a side full of confidence in the final third, while the defensive record shows organisation and discipline throughout the team. While other contenders have dropped points through draws or inconsistent spells, City have kept collecting victories and gradually stretching the gap at the top.

Strength in every position

City have built their success on having strength across the entire squad. At the back, players like Alex Greenwood, Kerstin Casparij, Leila Ouahabi, Naomi Layzell and Jade Rose have helped keep the defence solid and composed throughout the campaign.

In midfield, names such as Yui Hasegawa, Laura Coombs, Grace Clinton, Sydney Lohmann and Laura Blindkilde Brown provide depth, energy and creativity when needed. Up front and out wide, Lauren Hemp, Vivianne Miedema, Aoba Fujino, Iman Beney, and Kerolin add attacking threat alongside their main striker.

This depth has allowed City to rotate players, manage fitness and maintain performance levels even during congested fixture periods. It gives them options that several of their rivals simply cannot match.

Shaw making the difference

Khadija Shaw sits at the centre of City’s attack and currently leads the WSL scoring charts. With 14 league goals and four assists to her name, she has been one of the standout players this season. Nearly a third of City’s 41 goals have come from Shaw, showing just how central she is to their success.

In a title race, having a forward who can be relied upon match in, match out is crucial. If she continues on this trajectory, City will be lifting the trophy in May.

The final stretch

With the season reaching its closing stages, Manchester City Women are in a position that very few teams let slip. An eight-point lead, 13 wins from 15 games, and a strong goal record give them a clear cushion and real confidence going into the final matches.

Football can throw up surprises, but City have shown enough consistency and strength to suggest they will finish the job and claim the WSL title.

Continue Reading

Uncategorized

Women’s Football Love Stories: How Players Meet, Fall in Love, and Build Families Off the Pitch

Published

on

Women’s football has grown fast enough that the stars aren’t just match-winners anymore—they’re public figures. With that comes a part of the sport fans rarely see up close: how elite players actually meet, date, commit, and sometimes start families while living out of suitcases, informed .

There’s no single “football romance blueprint.” Some couples begin as teenagers in the same system and simply never stop choosing each other. Others meet through national-team circuits where everyone knows everyone, and your social life is basically an airport lounge. And some relationships bloom in the most modern way possible: a quiet message, a mutual follow, a slow build that stays private until the two people involved decide it’s worth sharing.

From training grounds to real life

One of the most reliable places football relationships start is the everyday environment: training, rehab, and the routines around competition. The classic version is the academy or college connection—meeting before fame sharpens everything.

A well-known example is Alex Morgan, who met fellow footballer Servando Carrasco at the University of California, Berkeley, and later married him on New Year’s Eve 2014. Their story is familiar to any athlete couple: shared ambition, shared schedule, and an unspoken understanding that big games come with big emotions. They’ve since built a family, including a daughter born in 2020 and a son born in 2025.

When footballers date footballers

There’s a reason football-to-football relationships keep happening: the lifestyle is intense and hard to translate. Matchday anxiety, online scrutiny, recovery routines, and constant travel can make “normal dating” feel like you’re dating the calendar. Dating within the game removes a lot of explanation.

Ada Hegerberg—Ballon d’Or winner and one of the defining strikers of her generation—married Norwegian defender Thomas Rogne in 2019. Even in the limited details that are public, the dynamic reads as quietly grounded: two professionals who understand the cost of the job and the need for a stable home base when the calendar gets brutal.

It’s also why you’ll see couples who treat their relationship like a protected zone. The public assumes “power couple” means constant posting. In reality, many elite athletes do the opposite: fewer details, stronger boundaries, less noise.

Visibility, representation, and the new era of openness

Women’s football has also become a space where same-sex couples can be visible in a way that still feels groundbreaking in parts of the sporting world. That visibility matters because it normalizes what should never have been treated as “news” in the first place.

Few couples represent that shift better than Pernille Harder and Magdalena Eriksson. They’ve been together since 2014, announced their engagement in July 2024, and have been open about how visibility can help younger fans feel less alone. They’ve also connected their platform to advocacy and community work in football, which adds purpose beyond the usual celebrity narrative.

The compelling part isn’t just romance—it’s that they’ve stayed elite while carrying leadership roles at club and country level, sometimes even as rivals. It’s a reminder that in women’s football the partner is often a top-level athlete too, with her own medals, pressure, and spotlight.

From DMs to diapers: the modern timeline

If you want a snapshot of how quickly life can move when two pros decide to build together, look at Sam Kerr and Kristie Mewis. They went public as a couple in the early 2020s, got engaged in 2023, welcomed a baby boy in 2025, and were later reported to have held their wedding on New Year’s Eve 2025.

The headline is cute. The real story is the logistics. These are two athletes from different national-team programs, with club careers that demand travel, rehab, and constant scheduling trade-offs. Building a family in that environment isn’t a social-media moment; it’s a long series of decisions that require trust, flexibility, and the ability to be a team off the pitch when the pitch is on the other side of the world.

Why privacy is still a competitive advantage

As women’s football grows, so does the attention economy around it. Fans want access. Platforms reward oversharing. Media cycles turn personal milestones into content. In response, more players are choosing selective visibility: share the joy, keep the details. That approach doesn’t make a relationship less real; it often makes it more resilient.

The public also forgets that footballers experience normal relationship problems in an abnormal workplace. Long-distance phases aren’t occasional; they’re built into the job. Career decisions affect two people at once. Injuries don’t just hit the player; they hit the household mood, routine, and future planning. If a couple survives that with warmth intact, that’s not luck—it’s work.

Weddings in this world are usually quiet and off-season, planned with the discipline of rehab—because the next camp, flight, or final is never far away.

A quick snapshot of recurring patterns

CoupleHow they met (publicly known)MilestonesA telling detail
Alex Morgan & Servando CarrascoCollege football at UC BerkeleyMarried 2014; two childrenFamily built alongside elite careers
Ada Hegerberg & Thomas RogneSame football ecosystem in NorwayMarried 2019Shared understanding of pro life
Harder & ErikssonProfessional football circlesTogether since 2014; engaged 2024Visible leadership + advocacy
Sam Kerr & Kristie MewisElite football networkEngaged 2023; baby 2025; wedding 2025Family-building across careers

The bottom line

Women’s football is still rewriting the old narrative. These athletes aren’t “plus-ones.” They’re the headline acts, and their relationships reflect that: partnerships between equals, built under pressure, often across borders, and increasingly in public with pride rather than secrecy.

In a sport that demands constant performance, the best love stories are the ones that don’t look like performance at all—just two people choosing each other, again and again, while the season keeps moving.

Continue Reading

Uncategorized

John Souttar Celebrates the 5th Birthday of His Daughter with Wife Kayley

Published

on

John Souttar and his wife Kayley having a drink

John Souttar has been a regular player for the Rangers club since 2022. He plays as a Centre-back for both Rangers and Scotland national team. The footballer is married to Kayley and lives a happy life with his family. John Souttar and Kayley celebrated their little angel’s 5th birthday and shared beautiful pictures of the celebration. Here is everything about John Souttar’s wife, kids, and family.

Who is John Souttar’s Wife?

John Souttar married Kayley in 2022. He met her during high school days in 2013 and has been together over the years. John Souttar met her during his stint at Dundee United. He revealed his partner on Instagram during his trip to New York in 2018. John Souttar announced his engagement to Kayley on Instagram which took place in Central Park, Manhattan. The couple was blessed with a daughter in 2021. In 2022, they tied the knot at Edinburgh’s Carlowrie Castle with the blessings of their family members and friends.

John Souttar and Kayley from New York

What Does Kayley Souttar Do?

Kayley Souttar is an entrepreneur and she was a model before marriage. She is the partner of her husband’s ventures Maison Dieu Coffee Roasters and Maison Dieu Coffee at the Ferry. Kayley manages the shops and takes care of her kids as well. Kayley is a part time entrepreneur and full-time mother.

Kayley Souttar – Family & Education

Kayley hails from Scotland. We couldn’t find details about her family. Though Kayley is active on social media, she hasn’t shared her personal information. Kayley completed a bachelor’s degree in a well reputed university in Glasgow. There is no information about her educational qualifications.

John Souttar girlfriend

John Souttar & Kayley Celebrated their Daughter’s Birthday

John Souttar and his wife have been blessed with two children. Their first child, Myla, was born in January 2021. The couple celebrated Myla’s 5th birthday in a grand way. Myla was born even before her parents’ marriage. The couple also have a son named Tommy Aaron who was born in 2023. Kayley regularly posts pictures of her kids on her Instagram.

Kayley Souttar Social Media

Kayley Souttar has an Instagram account with 1.8k followers. She doesn’t have a verified account, but her account is public. Kayley has more than 500 posts which clearly indicates she is super active on her account and posts her everyday activities. Her handle includes posts of her husband John Souttar and her kids as well. Kayley Souttar also uses her account to promote her business.

Read More:

Continue Reading

Home » Uncategorized » PL clubs seek expulsion and £1bn in damages from Man City as ATP legal action thwarts EFL deal

Trending