Leicester City fined for UK anti-competitive arrangement with JD Sports

Leicester City has been fined up to £880,000 after it broke competition law as part of a deal with JD Sports.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has said Leicester City and JD Sports have admitted to entering an arrangement which limited competition in the sales of club-branded clothing, including replica kit, in the UK.

Leicester City and its parent companies have agreed to pay a fine up to the watchdog’s maximum penalty of £880,000.

JD Sports will avoid a fine after reporting the illegal activity.

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.

"The fine that Leicester City FC and its parent companies have agreed to pay sends a clear message to them and other businesses that anti-competitive collusion will not be tolerated."

ITV News Central has contacted Leicester City and JD Sports for a comment.