UEFA evidence threatens Manchester City’s appeal over League charges

Man City’s appeal against the Premier League’s guilty verdict on 114 of 115 financial‑breach charges has hit a second setback, as evidence previously supplied to UEFA is reported to weaken the club’s defence. The charges relate to alleged ‘sham’ sponsorship deals between 2009 and 2018 that the league says inflated revenues by £900 million.

Guilty verdict and alleged sham deals

The Premier League found Manchester City guilty last week on 114 of the 115 financial‑breach charges relating to the period 2009‑2018. The league alleges that sham sponsorship arrangements were used to inflate the club’s revenue by £900 million. City continue to deny any wrongdoing, insisting that irrefutable evidence will clear its name.

Club’s defence rests on Abu Dhabi funding

In its defence, the club will argue that the disputed deals were legitimate payments from the Abu Dhabi government, not from the Abu Dhabi United Group. The Premier League permits state‑owned bodies to sponsor clubs, a point the club hopes will demonstrate that the Abu Dhabi United Group did not fabricate the arrangements. This line of argument, however, is now under pressure after new information emerged.

Past sponsor evidence threatens appeal

Etihad Airways, the club’s title sponsor, told the United States Department of Commerce in 2015 that reports of government funding were false, a statement that forms part of the past evidence now cited by the Times.

The report, compiled by Sport Central and authored by Mark Wakefield, includes images and a view of the original documents, and the Man City dossier, tagged MAN and CITY, is stored in the archive.

Premier League clubs push for multi‑year sanctions on Man City

It also City told UEFA over six years ago that two payments of £15 million each in 2012 and 2013 were made by Jaber Mohamed, the general director of the United Arab Emirates’ Crown Prince Court, while omitting his links to the CPC.

The payments were reportedly meant to be made by Etisalat, another UAE‑owned sponsor.

An independent three‑person commission will now oversee the appeal, with a decision expected before the end of the year. The panel that delivered the guilty verdict will also decide any sanctions after the Premier League puts forward its recommendations.

Club officials warn that expulsion from the Premier League is a possible sanction, a measure that would require a vote from fifteen other clubs. Premier League clubs do not expect Manchester City to remain in the top flight should the appeal fail, and many believe a points deduction would not be sufficient if the club were forced to spend a season outside the league.

Manchester City maintains its innocence and continues to prepare its case, awaiting the commission’s ruling before the year closes.