The pressure on Manchester City intensified last night after Uefa and the Premier League agreed to share information from their separate inquiries into alleged manipulation of sponsorship money. Uefa’s independent club financial control body is looking into allegations that £59.5 million that was supposed to have come to the club in 2015 from Etihad airline was instead paid directly by the club’s owners, the Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG).
Premier League officials are also looking into claims published by the German magazine Der Spiegel and it is understood that discussions have taken place with Uefa. Both organisations have disclosed what their inquiries have revealed and an agreement was made that future information will be shared. Uefa’s investigation is into whether the alleged manipulation, revealed in leaked emails between City executives, breached financial fair play (FFP) rules or if there was dishonest conduct by the club.
If those offences are proven, City could face a Champions League ban. The club have been fined before for FFP breaches and Uefa figures believe sporting sanctions would have to be applied this time. It is less clear what action the Premier League can take.
Some club executives may also face Uefa disciplinary charges. The relevant emails were exchanged between Simon Pearce, a director of Manchester City Ltd and special adviser to City’s chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, and Jorge Chumillas, who was the City Football Group’s chief financial officer in 2015 and whose LinkedIn profile says he still works for the group.
One email from Chumillas to Pearce, referring to the Etihad sponsorship deal worth £67.5 million annually, stated: “Please note that out of those 67.5m pounds, 8m pounds should be funded directly by Etihad and 59.5 by ADUG.”
According to Der Spiegel, City also backdated sponsorship deals with partners from Abu Dhabi — Etihad, Aabar and the tourism authority. Chumillas asked Pearce in an email if they could change the date of payment for the sponsors, and Pearce replied: “Of course, we can do what we want.”
Two weeks ago Aleksander Ceferin, the Uefa president, described it as “a concrete case” and said that the outcome would be known “very soon”.City have not responded to the revelations apart from a statement saying: “We will not be providing any comment on out of context materials purported to have been hacked or stolen from City Football Group and Manchester City personnel and associated people. The attempt to damage the club’s reputation is organised and clear.”
Uefa announced last week that AC Milan will be banned from European competition for a season if they do not break even by June 2021 after falling foul of FFP rules.
Really would be good if our press would push this story. Biggest thing happening in football right now and so important too the integrity of the game.
Be a game changer on the Prem if any real sanctions where brought too account. Time and effort that went into sting operations on Alladyce. and yet due to commercial interests there will be a collective silence no doubt on a more important case.
Good lurrrdd how I’d love City to be brought up on fraud charges and the Shieks be made to sell. Want City gone into obscurity, and with the scum heading that way as well we can take our rightful 4th place spot back.
I actually have no interest beyond the headline at the moment. The details, who cares unless they actually do anything about it.
So whats happened here then. Best manager ever. Best number two in the world. 50 million full backs and money laundering at its ultimate worse.
Their star falls a little here and the Pep love affair cools, we may just get someone in the media just go and do their job.
Yeah not ideal for them ATM, but I won’t judge them until they’re out of the Champions League.
You can always spend another 800M in January then ya prick 
I wonder if the empty stadium, lack of noise and lack of history means their players aren’t as up for it as much as Liverpool’s players who have better fans and history.
City do have the better players but at times it seems like their heads drop and it all falls apart. 3 losses this month, Chelsea away is fair enough, but Leicester and Palace shouldn’t be happening.
Its funny with city though, each time they win a league they go missing the following one. Arsenal, united ,Chelsea once they won built sides of menace for a few seasons.
City are still 44 points from 19 games, I’m not sure I’d declare this season as going missing just yet.
Really? I’d have only said that about United a decade ago
Maybe not but 7points behind now and having lost a plus 18 GD is a pretty big turn around. Transfer window could be key for them and injuries.
How do we view them if they dont win the CL or title this season. Surely a Carabao cup and title would be a poor return.
They’d wanna be winning one of the PL or CL this season, no doubt about it.
Well they could also get another Carabao:joy:
They lack a like-for-like replacement for Fernandinho. Seems their control of games isn’t as absolute when he’s missing and it’s really hurt them.
Given the quality they have in attack, they should have still not lost those two games but I’m sure it is an area Guardiola will try and address. Big money signing incoming in either January or the summer for absolute fucking sure.
Ndombele
They are still gonna win the league, imo. They nave to beat Liverpool today though.
that ‘stop it he is already dead’ piccy would be quite apt