CMA investigation concludes that Leicester City and JD Sports broke competition law
The Competition and Markets Authority has concluded that JD Sports and Leicester City Football Club broke competition law by “colluding to restrict competition in the sales of Leicester City-branded clothing, including replica kit, in the UK”.
Leicester City and its parent companies have admitted the football club’s participation in the alleged arrangement and have agreed to pay a fine under the CMA’s settlement policy of a maximum of £880,000. This includes a settlement discount due to Leicester City admitting to acting illegally.
As JD Sports reported the alleged conduct to the CMA and admitted its participation by way of a leniency application, it will not receive a fine provided that it continues to cooperate and comply with the conditions of the CMA’s leniency policy.
Michael Grenfell, executive director of enforcement at the CMA, said: “Strong and unimpeded competition between retailers is essential to consumers’ ability to shop around for the best deals.
“Football fans are well-known for their loyalty towards their teams. In this case 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. Both parties have now admitted their involvement, allowing us to bring the investigation to a swift conclusion.”
