Villa owner considering legal action against Premier League over PSR rules

Aston Villa owner Nassef Sawiris says he is considering legal action against the Premier League over its Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR).

Sawiris, Egypt’s richest man, claims the rules, which place a limit on the amount clubs are able to lose across a three-year period, “do not make sense”.

At the Premier League’s annual general meeting last Thursday, Villa had a proposal to raise the maximum permitted losses from £105million to £135million rejected.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Sawiris claimed he was seeking advice over the prospect of taking legal action against them.

He said: “Some of the rules have actually resulted in cementing the status quo more than creating upward mobility and fluidity in the sport.

“The rules do not make sense and are not good for football.

“Managing a sports team has become more like being a treasurer or a bean counter rather than looking at what your team needs.

“It’s more about creating paper profits, not real profits. It becomes a financial game, not a sporting game.”

Premier League clubs did, however, agree to trial new financial systems next season at the meeting, including a cap on spending which would replace PSR from the 2025-26 campaign.

Both Everton and Nottingham Forest received point deductions for breaching the PSR limit in the 2023-24 season. In March, Villa reported a loss of £119.6million up to May 31, 2023.

Meanwhile, a hearing began on Monday after Manchester City took legal action against the Premier League’s Associated Party Transaction rules (APT), which are designed to regulate clubs signing sponsorship deals with companies linked to their owners.