Manchester City sponsor, Etihad Airways, has threatened legal action against the Premier League after the club was found guilty of all financial breaches.
The Premier League announced on Tuesday that City had been found guilty by an independent commission of all charges against them.
In an explosive verdict, the Premier League stated that the club had disguised funding of more than £900million via a series of commercial deals between 2009 and 2018.
During this period, City won eight trophies, including three Premier League titles.
The ruling by an independent panel found City guilty of inflating their revenue by around £900 million through ‘sham’ contracts with sponsors, which were funded by the club’s owners.
While Etihad weren’t named in the judgement, it is the long-standing sponsor of City’s stadium, kit and training centre in a relationship with the club that stretches back to 2009.
The club are set to appeal against the ruling, having been given until Friday to respond to the verdict.
In the wake of the Premier League’s verdict, Etihad have now hit out at the English top-flight for suggesting they are implicated in the inflated ‘sham’ sponsorship deals, as reported by talkSPORT.
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The Abu Dhabi airline said that ‘at no time’ did the Premier League engage with them during the process, and claimed they were never given a right of reply or a chance to ‘provide relevant information.
It slammed the Premier League for having ‘created damaging implications for Etihad despite the airline not being named in the redacted published findings’.
An Etihad spokesperson said: “Etihad categorically rejects any finding, conclusion or implication that suggests the airline has ever been involved in improper commercial arrangements.
“The Premier League’s public communication of the Commission’s findings, following a period of selective leaks and reporting, has further created damaging implications for Etihad despite the airline not being named in the redacted published findings.
They added: “At no time did the Premier League reach out to or engage with Etihad in the process associated with the Commission’s opinion.
“Etihad was therefore 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.”
