July 05, (THEWILL) – Leicester City Football Club, along with retailer, JD Sports, have been fined by Britain’s competition regulator, following an investigation that revealed collusion to restrict competition in the sales of branded sports kit including replica shirts.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), announced that the club, which was recently relegated from the English Premier League to the Championship, could face fines of up to £880,000 ($1.12 million). The CMA stated that the collusion between Leicester City FC and JD Sports led to market sharing and price-fixing.
“We have provisionally found that Leicester City FC and JD Sports colluded to share out markets and fix prices – with the result that fans may have ended up paying more than they would otherwise have done”, the CMA said.
The investigation focused on the period between 2018 and 2021, during which the offence occurred. JD Sports confirmed in a separate statement that it had reported the football club’s conduct to the CMA in 2021, thereby gaining immunity from fines by the regulator. The major sports retailer clarified that none of its current or former directors or senior management were involved in the offence.
Additionally, JD Sports admitted its full cooperation with the CMA throughout the investigation. The retailer aimed to distance itself from the collusion, which took place over a three-year period, and highlighted its proactive approach in reporting the matter to the regulator to buy its immunity from prosecution.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
