Etihad’s 2015 statement complicates Manchester City’s appeal over €959m in alleged funding
Manchester City has appealed a commission’s finding that it disguised more than £830m (€959m) of owner funding as sponsorship income between 2009 and 2018. The club is expected to argue that the money came from the Abu Dhabi government, but Etihad told US authorities in 2015 that it funded its City sponsorship from its own liquidity. City denies wrongdoing and says it has irrefutable evidence.
Bottom line — A new three-person panel will hear the appeal; Premier League rules set a 12-week timetable, though City may challenge whether it applies.
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Etihad’s 2015 submission said the claim that Abu Dhabi’s government paid for its Manchester City sponsorship was false; the airline said it financed the deal from its own liquidity.
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The commission rejected City’s government-funding explanation, describing it as an account devised after the event to conceal what it called a disguised funding scheme.
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In the 2020 Court of Arbitration for Sport case, former Etihad chief executive James Hogan said sponsorship obligations were paid from Etihad’s own funds.
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Sky Sports News reports City may argue the faster appeal rules do not apply because the club was charged in 2023 and its hearing took place in 2024.
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The FA says it is considering the verdict and will take action where appropriate, but is waiting while the Premier League proceedings continue.