Etihad Airways threatens legal action against Premier League over Man City guilty verdict

Etihad Airways, Manchester City’s principal sponsor since 2009, has announced it is seeking legal advice against the Premier League following this week’s independent commission verdict that found City guilty of seriously breaching the league’s financial rules.

The commission determined that City organised a “disguised funding scheme” with certain commercial partners, inflating the club’s revenues by up to £830m across nine years between 2009 and 2018. City had faced 115 charges brought by the Premier League in 2023, with hearings concluding in 2024 before the verdict was published this week.

Etihad, the state airline of Abu Dhabi, issued a statement categorically rejecting “any finding, conclusion or implication that suggests the airline has ever been involved in improper commercial arrangements.” The airline confirmed it is now weighing legal action to protect its interests from what it described as “damaging implications” — despite not being specifically named in the commission’s published report.

Central to Etihad’s grievance is the claim that the Premier League never engaged with the airline during the investigation, denying it the opportunity to submit relevant information. The airline is also demanding that the Premier League “take responsibility” for how the commission’s findings were communicated publicly and the reputational consequences that followed.

In the same statement, Etihad reaffirmed its support for Manchester City, saying the two parties’ “shared relationship remains strong.”

The source article notes that Etihad’s statement incorrectly characterises the commission as being linked to the Premier League; it was in fact an independent body.

City now await a separate sentencing hearing to determine what sporting and financial penalties, if any, will be imposed as a result of the guilty findings.