Man City appeal: Club will argue sponsorship deals came from Abu Dhabi government
BBC • • sports
Key Points:
- Manchester City has been found guilty by an independent commission of breaching Premier League financial regulations between 2009-10 and 2017-18 by artificially inflating revenue through sham sponsorship deals.
- The club plans to appeal the decision, arguing that key sponsorship funds came from the Abu Dhabi government rather than the club's owners, Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG), a claim the commission rejected as fabricated.
- ADUG, owned by Sheikh Mansour of the UAE ruling family, allegedly disguised funding worth £830.69m to help City comply with financial rules; Premier League rules permit state-owned bodies to sponsor clubs.
- City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak cited "irrefutable evidence" supporting the club's innocence, while principal sponsor Etihad Airways, owned by a UAE sovereign wealth fund, is considering legal action against the Premier League over the findings.
- The Premier League has declined to comment on the matter.
