Leicester City Football Club has been fined by Britain’s competition regulator after an investigation revealed that the club and retailer JD Sports engaged in collusion to limit competition in the sales of branded sports kit, including replica shirts.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced that the club, which was relegated from the Premier League in May, will face a fine of up to £880,000 ($1.12 million).
The CMA stated that it had provisionally found evidence of collusion between Leicester City FC and JD Sports, resulting in the sharing of markets and price-fixing. This may have led to fans paying higher prices than they would have otherwise.
JD Sports, in a separate statement, disclosed that it had informed the regulator about the football club’s behavior in 2021, which granted the major sports retailer immunity from fines by the CMA.
The retailer clarified that none of its current or former directors or senior management were involved in the offense, which occurred between 2018 and 2021. JD Sports emphasized that it had fully cooperated with the investigation.
Post Your Comments