Man City accused in £30m sponsorship scandal | OneFootball

In a leaked report obtained by the makers of a YouTube film about Manchester City’s finances, the club has been accused of receiving £30 million in payments from a mystery figure in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

According to the Times, UEFA produced the report in 2020 but never published it. The report alleges that the payments made in 2012 and 2013 were designed to cover sums from one of City’s main sponsors.

These payments are part of the 115 alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules that the FA used to charge Man City with in February.

The payments were claimed to be from the UAE’s state-owned telecommunications company Etisalat but were actually ‘disguised equity funding’ coming from City’s owners, the Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG).

During a disciplinary hearing, City’s lawyer identified the person who made the payments as ‘Jaber Mohamed’.

He described Mohamed as someone providing financial and brokering services to commercial entities in the UAE.

The report questioned why Etisalat or ADUG would need financial assistance from a broker to pay sponsorship liabilities.

Man City argued that the money was repaid to their owners by Etisalat in 2015, but UEFA did not accept this explanation.

UEFA imposed a two-year European ban on the club in 2019, which the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) overturned the following year.

CAS ruled that they could not consider it due to time restrictions.

However, the Premier League can still address the Etisalat payments as part of their charges. They are not under the same time limitations.

The charges against Man City include allegations of non-cooperation with investigations and failure to provide required documents over a five-season period from 2018 to 2023.

Under Premier League and UEFA financial rules, club owners have limits on equity funding but not sponsorship funding.

City’s management was reportedly well aware that the payments made by Mohamed were equity funding and not genuine sponsorship liabilities.

The club’s audited financial statements overstated sponsorship revenue by including the total amount Etisalat was supposed to pay.

The YouTube film – ‘Britain’s Biggest Football Scandal?’ released by Sunrise Media – explores City’s financial charges.

The filmmakers have remained anonymous and deny being funded by any Middle East state or agency.

However, Man City suspects potential geopolitical motives behind the film’s production due to political tensions in the Gulf region.

While the CAS ruling cleared City of receiving disguised equity funding via Etihad Airways, the Premier League’s investigation has noted additional leaked emails and documents published by Der Spiegel in April 2022.

The Premier League charges relate to nine seasons from 2009/10 to 2017/18.

Man City have chosen not to comment on the recent allegations. The Premier League investigation is ongoing, and there will be further developments in the coming months.