Everton and Liverpool said this would cost a “huge price” in the Premier League APT scandal involving Man City.

There is a lawsuit between Man City and the Premier League over Associated Party Transaction rules, and more and more teams are backing their case.

A coming civil war in England’s top league could have a huge effect on the finances of Premier League teams like Everton and Liverpool. Concerns are growing as more teams back Manchester City’s challenge to the league’s Associated Party Transaction rules. An independent panel has already ruled that the current rules don’t follow UK competition law.

The conflict has gotten worse, and City is also in court over 115 charges of wrong financial information. The case began three weeks ago and could last for another two months. Also, Everton and Nottingham Forest have lost points in the past for breaking the Profit and Sustainability Rules, which led to expensive court battles.

Top sports lawyer Simon Leaf of Mishcon de Reya told Mirror Football that reputational risks could be very bad if there are fights in the Premier League. This is because the league’s brand could be at risk, which could make it less appealing to television partners and sponsors. Leaf spoke out about his worries, saying, “If the Premier League is seen to be in constant legal battles with its member clubs, that does serious damage to the brand.”

To show how important the league is, he said, “This is a league that is seen as one of the country’s crown jewels.” Everyone else in the world wants to be in that league.

The effects may not be felt right away, but they can’t be ignored. He says, “The damage might not happen overnight, but when the game is played out in courtrooms instead of on the field, it’s not the kind of thing that sponsors and broadcasters will want a piece of.”

“The brand will be hurt in a way that you can’t quantify right now.” People often say that there is no such thing as bad news. But when outside sponsors, especially those from other countries, decide who they want to work with, there may be more of a desire for them to choose La Liga over the Premier League.

“This kind of civil war is bad for business.” The Premier League looks bad because of it.

The Premier League makes a lot of money from world TV rights—more than £3.5 billion a year. The league’s finances look strong, with a new deal with Sky and TNT worth £6.7 billion over four years on the way. This is a lot more than La Liga makes, and it’s almost £3 billion more than the Bundesliga.