Etihad Airways, Manchester City’s principal sponsor, is actively seeking legal counsel regarding potential action against the Premier League following the landmark commission ruling into the club’s financial conduct. The Abu Dhabi state-owned airline, which has served as City’s primary commercial partner since 2009, issued a strongly worded statement indicating it will explore all available options to protect its commercial interests. Although Etihad was not explicitly named in the published, redacted decision issued by the Premier League commission, the airline maintains that the framing and presentation of the findings have inflicted severe reputational harm without granting the carrier an opportunity to respond during the disciplinary proceedings.
The fallout stems from the independent commission’s determination that the ten-time English champions breached financial rules by systematically inflating sponsorship income. According to the published ruling, commercial partners paid only a fraction of the figures registered in official documentation, with the club’s owner during the period, Abu Dhabi United Group, supplying the remaining balance. The commission concluded that these arrangements disguised genuine expenditure and overstated revenues by more than £900 million. The findings included characterizations of certain commercial agreements as sham contracts, directly implicating the integrity of the club’s revenue reporting during a period in which City secured three Premier League titles, one FA Cup, and three League Cups.
In its official statement, Etihad categorically rejected any inference that it participated in improper commercial practices. The airline, which entered a ten-year partnership worth £400 million in 2011 before subsequently extending the agreement to cover both shirt sponsorship and stadium naming rights, emphasized that it was never formally approached by investigators during the league’s process. Reaffirming its ongoing commitment to Manchester City, Etihad stated that it rejects any finding or implication suggesting involvement in deceptive financial structures, maintaining that the league’s public presentation compromised its international standing without due process.
The disciplinary verdict leaves Manchester City facing potentially severe athletic and financial sanctions under Premier League guidelines, ranging from substantial financial penalties and points deductions to potential expulsion from the top division. While the club continues to deny all charges of wrongdoing and prepares an official appeal before Friday’s deadline, the Premier League has declined to comment on Etihad’s statement. The controversy has extended across City’s commercial portfolio, with corporate partners such as Lucozade, Kellogg’s, and Revolut opting not to comment while legal proceedings remain active, and Majestic Wines evaluating its ongoing relationship with the English champions.
