Manchester City to Appeal Financial Breaches Ruling with New Evidence
Manchester City are preparing an appeal against an independent panel ruling over alleged financial breaches, with the club set to submit bank records, transfer evidence and witness testimony in an effort to show disputed sponsorship income did not come from their Abu Dhabi-based owners.
City ready appeal case
- The panel found that City had improperly concealed more than £900 million in funding in order to evade financial regulations.
- City’s response will centre on the claim that Abu Dhabi’s government, rather than Abu Dhabi United Group, contributed to sponsorship agreements.
- The club intend to argue that £830.69 million identified in the case was derived from legitimate funding sources.
- Bank statements, payment records and witness accounts are expected to form the backbone of the appeal before a newly selected panel.
- City have until Friday to formally file the appeal, with Lord David Pannick KC due to play a leading role in their legal defence.
Emails disputed by Manchester City
The Premier League case placed significant weight on hacked correspondence, including a 2013 email in which Jorge Chumillas and Simon Pearce discussed the route of sponsorship payments.
City maintain that the exchanges reflected incorrect assumptions made by employees rather than proof that owner funding had been channelled into the club through sponsors.
Chief executive Ferran Soriano told staff that the allegation at the centre of the case was false. He said City had supplied material which, in their view, proves the owner’s personal money neither could have entered nor did enter the club through Abu Dhabi sponsorship arrangements.
Soriano cited banking documents, money-transfer details and witness evidence as the material City believe will overturn the finding.
Etihad considers its own action
Etihad Airways, one of City’s principal commercial partners, is considering legal action against the Premier League following the ruling.
The airline rejects the commission’s conclusions and says it was not involved in the legal proceedings or offered an opportunity to answer findings relevant to its sponsorship.
Etihad believes the presentation of those findings has caused serious damage to the company and says the Premier League must accept responsibility for the consequences.
The appeal is likely to trigger a lengthy further legal fight, with the eventual decision carrying potentially major consequences for English football’s financial-regulation system.
