Manchester City Faces Uphill Battle in Premier League Appeal Over £830m Sham Contracts
· Sports · BBC Sport
Manchester City have been found guilty of all charges related to breaching Premier League financial rules between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons, including creating sham contracts to inflate sponsorship deals by £830m. The club maintains it is innocent and claims to have irrefutable evidence showing the payments came from the Abu Dhabi government as a shareholder of sponsors like Etihad Airways, not from club owners. City’s appeal hinges on proving a material error of law, principle, or fact, or serious procedural unfairness that materially affected the Commission’s decision. However, leading lawyer James Severn stated that if the evidence City plans to rely on was already before the Commission, which still concluded the arrangements were a sham, the club faces an uphill struggle. Etihad Airways had previously stated in 2015 US court documents that the Abu Dhabi government did not pay for its sponsorship, though City argues this lacks full context.
Why it matters
The outcome of the appeal could determine whether Manchester City retains its Premier League titles from the period in question and avoids further sanctions, impacting the club’s reputation and standing in English football. A failed appeal may also set a precedent for how strictly financial fair play rules are enforced against clubs with state-linked ownership.
Read the original report — BBC Sport
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