Manchester City’s principal shirt sponsor, Etihad Airways, is considering legal action against the Premier League after the publication of the independent commission’s core decision on more than 100 findings of financial rule breaches by the club.
Etihad said in a statement released on Tuesday evening that it ‘categorically rejects’ the commission’s guilty verdicts. The airline claimed the verdicts had ‘damaging implications’ for it, even though it was not named in the published report.
The independent commission found City guilty of artificially inflating their revenues by £900m through ‘sham’ sponsorship contracts that were secretly funded by the owners, the Abu Dhabi United Group. City have until Friday to appeal the verdict.
Etihad, the state-owned national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has been City’s principal shirt sponsor since 2009 and was the main source of the initial transformation of their revenues. In 2011 City announced a 10-year naming rights deal worth £400m for the Etihad Stadium, which was subsequently extended on improved terms in 2021.
In its statement, Etihad said it had reviewed the commission’s published opinion relating to the disciplinary proceedings involving Manchester City, together with the Premier League’s public communication of its findings. It said it ‘categorically rejects any finding, conclusion or implication that suggests the airline has ever been involved in improper commercial arrangements.’
Etihad also criticised the Premier League’s public communication of the commission’s findings, saying that following a period of selective leaks and reporting it had further created damaging implications for the airline despite Etihad not being named in the redacted published findings.
The airline repeated the description used by City chief executive Ferran Soriano in a video sent to staff, calling the commission’s ruling an ‘opinion’. Etihad claimed the Premier League failed to consult it throughout the investigation. ‘At no time did the Premier League reach out to or engage with Etihad in the process associated with the commission’s opinion,’ it said. Etihad added that it was never given the opportunity by the Premier League to be represented, to provide relevant information, or to ensure the accuracy and fairness of information relied upon in reaching conclusions that may now be interpreted as reflecting adversely on the airline.
Etihad said it was deeply concerned by the way the matter had been communicated publicly. It cited a lack of clarity and transparency, together with selective disclosure of information, and said the Premier League must take responsibility for the consequences of the way the findings had been presented.
Despite the dispute, Etihad said it was ‘immensely proud’ of its longstanding relationship with Manchester City. It said the Etihad name had been carried by the club and its stadium for many years as part of a partnership that connected it with millions of supporters around the world, and that its commitment to the club, its supporters and their shared partnership remained strong.
Etihad said it stood with the club, its supporters and its wider Etihad community as Manchester City challenges the commission’s conclusions through the available processes. The airline added that it would seek relevant legal counsel on the options and recourse available to protect its interests.