Counter-attack: Manchester City's sponsor threatens to sue the Premier League
The crisis enters a new phase
Manchester City's dispute with the Premier League has entered a new phase. Etihad Airways, the Emirati company that serves as the club's main sponsor, has revealed it is weighing up legal action against the league after the ruling on the club's financial breaches indirectly named the firm.
According to the "Daily Mail", the company "categorically rejects" the findings and conclusions of the independent commission's decision. It has begun seeking legal advice to work out what steps it can take to protect its interests.
This escalation follows the Premier League's publication on Tuesday of the long-awaited ruling. The independent commission concluded that Manchester City concealed funding exceeding 830 million pounds sterling through a series of commercial deals between 2009 and 2018, the period during which the club won eight titles.
The ruling states that Manchester City claimed it received 949.94 million pounds sterling from those commercial agreements. The commission judged only 119.25 million pounds sterling of that to be legitimate revenue, with the bulk of the funding coming from the club's owners, the Abu Dhabi United Group. That led the commission to conclude there was financial manipulation of around 900 million pounds sterling.
"Etihad Airways" rejects the findings
The published ruling did not name "Etihad Airways", yet the company has been tied to Manchester City since 2009 as the sponsor of the club's stadium, shirt and training centre.
In 2011, the company signed a sponsorship agreement with the club worth 400 million pounds sterling over 10 years, a deal later extended.
A spokeswoman for "Etihad Airways" said: "Etihad Airways categorically rejects any finding, conclusion or suggestion indicating that the company participated in any improper commercial arrangements."
She added that the way the Premier League announced the commission's findings, after a period of leaks and selective reports, "created harmful repercussions for Etihad Airways", even though the company's name never appeared in the published and redacted version of the ruling.
The company was blunt: "At no point did the Premier League contact Etihad Airways or involve it in the proceedings connected to the commission's opinion. Consequently, Etihad Airways was not given any opportunity by the league to represent itself, to provide relevant information, or to ensure the accuracy and fairness of the information relied upon in reaching conclusions that may now be seen as damaging to the company."
A direct warning to the Premier League
Sharpening its tone, "Etihad Airways" voiced "grave" concern at how the case was handled in the media.
It said: "The lack of clarity and transparency, together with the selective disclosure of information, has created harmful repercussions for Etihad Airways despite the fact that the company was not mentioned in the published decision. The Premier League must bear responsibility for the consequences of the manner in which these findings were presented."
At the same time, the company insisted its commitment to Manchester City "remains strong". It added: "We stand alongside the club, its fans and the wider Etihad Airways community, as Manchester City challenges the commission's conclusions through the procedures available to it."
The statement ended on a pointed note: "Etihad Airways will seek appropriate legal advice regarding the options and remedies available to protect its interests."
