Man City defence could be in tatters as claim about 'sham deals' was DENIED by Etihad

· Mirror

Manchester City have appealed the Premier League's guilty verdict regarding breaches of financial rules, although their defence could be undermind by their own title sponsor

Manchester City's defence to overturn a guilty verdict for breaching the Premier League's financial rules is in jeopardy due to past statements made by title sponsors Etihad during a 2015 investigation. The Cityzens confirmed on Friday that they have appealed an independent panel's findings on the charges, which relate to a nine-year period between 2009 and 2018.

A new independent panel of three appointed by the Premier League’s judicial panel will now hear City's challenge before a decision to determine once and for all whether they are guilty on 114 of the 115 charges levelled against them is made. It is claimed by the English top flight that City "artificially inflated" their revenue and reduced costs to the tune of more than £900million to comply with financial regulations.

The Premier League also claim that City came up with 'sham' sponsorship deals to allow them to do so. The former champions meanwhile, maintain their innocence, with sources close to the club claiming the 'sham' deals were legitimate and paid by the Abu Dhabi government, and not by the club's owners in the Abu Dhabi United Group.

The club also claim that they have "irrefutable evidence" which will prove their innocence. Given the Premier League allow state-owned bodies to sponsor clubs, that could help clear the club of any wrongdoing and prove that AGUD did not manufacture illegitimate deals.

However, the club's defence could now be in disarray as it's emerged that Etihad, the state-owned airline of the United Arab Emirates, told the United States Department of Commerce, Transportation, and State in 2015 that reports of the government paying for sponsorships were "false" during an investigation into state-owned airlines.

A statement at the time read: "We are government-owned and have been since our founding. We are and have always been clear that we do not receive any subsidies from the Abu Dhabi government, and that we are financed through a combination of equity, shareholder and commercial loans.

> "Our shareholder's equity and loans are not subsidies under any applicable definition; they are the means by which the Abu Dhabi government has sensibly invested in a successful business model."

Those two paragraphs could cripple Manchester City's defence as they undermine a key part of their appeal. It comes as City released a statement confirming their appeal on Friday, which read: "Manchester City Football Club can confirm that at 7pm on Thursday 1st October 2026 the Club lodged its comprehensive Appeal against the opinion of the Premier League Commission, in relation to the Premier League disciplinary matter.

> "The Club’s firm position is that, on multiple grounds, the opinion contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact and is unsafe. The Club is innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League and a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of all of its positions, relating to this case.

> "We will continue to respect due process and are necessarily restricted in what we can say further until all proceedings are complete."

Richard Masters, who is the chief executive of the Premier League, has also spoken about City's saga. He said: "The core decision establishes the facts of what happened at Manchester City during this period. It details how the club systematically broke Premier League Rules for nearly a decade.

> “It also vindicates the Premier League’s decision to pursue this case against Manchester City. While the process to date has been both long and difficult, the League has remained determined that the facts be established independently.

> “It is a key responsibility of the Premier League to ensure that the Rules, approved by the clubs themselves, are upheld to protect the integrity of the competition. It is paramount that the League remains competitive and fair for all clubs and for the fans. We take that role extremely seriously.

> “This disciplinary case, and this decision, are the most significant in Premier League history. There are elements of the case that remain to be decided, including, importantly, what sanction must follow for these breaches. Now we have the Commission’s decision, we are committed to moving swiftly through the remainder of the process, to provide certainty for the League, our clubs and fans.”

Should City be found guilty, a range of punishments could be handed down, including expulsion from the Premier League, points deductions, fines and transfer embargoes.

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