Leicester fined almost £1m over allegations of replica kit price fixing

Leicester City faces significant fines following proof of collusion.

Leicester have been hit with a hefty fine (Joe Giddens/PA) (PA Wire)

Britain’s competition regulator fined Leicester City on Wednesday after it found that the football club and retailer JD Sports colluded to restrict competition in the sales of branded sports kit, including replica shirts.

The Competition and Markets Authority said the club, which was relegated from the Premier League in May, would be fined up to 880,000 pounds ($1.12 million).

"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 of the club which won the Premier League in the 2015-16 season.

Michael Grenfell, who is the executive director of enforcement at the CMA went on to say, “Strong and unimpeded competition between retailers is essential to consumers’ ability to shop around for the best deals.”

The news comes in the wake of an incredibly unsuccessful season for Leicester, which will result in the club being relegated to the Championship for the first time since the 2013-2014 season. This past season feels like a far cry from where the club was just two years ago when it finished fifth in the Premier League and won the FA Cup.

Along with relegation, Leicester had to part ways with their star attacking midfielder, James Maddison, and also saw Youri Tielemans leave for Aston Villa on a free transfer. The club will strive to make an immediate return to the Premier League, but as many clubs have previously experienced, it can prove to be a challenging pursuit.

While Leicester incurred quite the fine, JD Sports said in a separate statement that it had notified the regulator of the football club’s conduct in 2021, which allowed the major sports retailer to gain immunity from the CMA against any fines.

The retailer added none of its current or former directors or senior management were involved in the offence, which took place in 2018-2021, and it had co-operated fully with the probe.

Reuters