The name was already a familiar one both in the world of English football and in the world of Leicester City. Even more so now City’s points deduction fears have been allayed.
The sports barrister has represented more than 45 clubs across the Premier League and EFL, and one of his latest assignments was to help City in their battle with the governing bodies. In March, having been charged with an alleged breach of Profit and Sustainability Rules by the Premier League and having been placed under a transfer embargo by the EFL, City announced they were issuing legal proceedings against both.
De Marco certainly has experience in representing clubs in their fights with the Premier League and EFL, and is successful. He has been described by football finance expert Kieran Maguire as the “football law version of Lionel Messi”.
In 2020, De Marco helped Sheffield Wednesday in their battle with the EFL over PSR, first managing to defer a points deduction, then getting it reduced from 12 points to six. In the same year, he also helped Stevenage avoid a points deduction, and managed the same with Derby County a year later. He then worked alongside Newcastle and Mike Ashley to help in their dispute with the Premier League over the Saudi takeover of the club.
De Marco’s services were sought by a number of clubs to look into potential compensation claims against Everton after they were charged by the Premier League over PSR breaches. He then represented Nottingham Forest after charges were brought against them, with City’s neighbours receiving just a four-point deduction earlier this month.
Even before the most recent case, De Marco had already been successful in defending the club. They won their appeal against the EFL in January when the governing body tried to subject the club to a business plan.
Back then City said in their statements that they were fighting “for the right of all clubs to pursue their ambitions” and in De Marco they had a lawyer who has spoken out against the nature of the regulations. He told the Sports Law Podcast this year: “Financial Fair Play rules in football are not justified on the basis of competitive balance and there’s a very strong argument that they are antithetical too because what they do is they allow you to spend more if you earn more so they protect the status quo.”
To figuratively suggest De Marco wrote the book on football law would be underplaying it. He literally wrote the book, with the 1,000-page ‘Football and the Law’ published in 2022.
And this evening it has emerged the Foxes have successfully argued that the Premier League were acting outside of their own jurisdiction to charge City with a breach of PSR in March.
It means that City will not face a points deduction for the 22-23 finances. Had they been found in breach, they faced losing at least six points, which would have been a damaging blow to their bid to stay up this term.
Delighted to have acted for LCFC against the PL in this important appeal. https://t.co/pOEQHlpMTF
— Nick De Marco KC (@nickdemarco_) September 3, 2024
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