Etihad weighs legal options after Premier League findings against Man City

Abu Dhabi: Etihad will seek the relevant legal counsel on the options and recourse available to protect its interests, the Abu Dhabi-based airline told Gulf News in a statement on Wednesday after the Premier League. Etihad said it "categorically rejects" any finding, conclusion or implication that the airline was involved in improper commercial arrangements, after an independent commission found Manchester City guilty of serious breaches of the Premier League's financial rules over a nine-season period.

The airline said the Premier League's public communication of the findings had created "damaging implications" for Etihad, despite the airline not being named in the redacted version of the commission's published decision. "At no time did the Premier League reach out to or engage with Etihad in the process associated with the Commission's opinion," Etihad said.

"Etihad was therefore never given the opportunity by the Premier League to be represented, to provide relevant information, or to ensure the accuracy and fairness of information relied upon in reaching conclusions that may now be interpreted as reflecting adversely on the airline." The Premier League said on Tuesday that the independent commission had found Manchester City guilty of all charges relating to serious financial-rule breaches between the 2009/10 and 2017/18 seasons, as well as three of four alleged breaches concerning its co-operation with the league's investigation. According to the league, the commission found that City had used "sham" commercial contracts with sponsors as part of arrangements that artificially inflated revenue and reduced costs by more than £900 million during the period.

The commission also found that City filed misstated accounts and concealed the true state of its finances from auditors and football regulators, the Premier League said. The league said that, had the relevant agreements been reported accurately, City would have breached its spending limits by a substantial amount.

Etihad, which has been a commercial partner of Manchester City since 2009, said it was concerned about how the findings had been communicated. "The lack of clarity and transparency, together with the selective disclosure of information, has created damaging implications for Etihad despite the airline not being named in the published decision," it said.

"The Premier League must take responsibility for the consequences of the way in which these findings have been presented."

The Premier League has said only a redacted version of the commission's core findings can currently be published, with additional appendices to be released when permitted.

The league said the disciplinary process remains ongoing. Manchester City has the right to appeal the commission's findings and has until October 2 to do so, according to the Premier League.

Any sanction will be considered separately at a further hearing, which will remain private until publication is permitted. Etihad said its relationship with the football club remained strong.

"Etihad is immensely proud of its longstanding relationship with Manchester City," the airline said.