According to Sam Wallace and James Ducker of The Telegraph, Man City's appeal against the independent Premier League panel's verdict is underway, but a document submitted by Etihad Airways to the U.S. government in 2015 directly contradicts a key claim Man City is making in its appeal.

One of Man City's core arguments in its appeal is that additional funds in commercial sponsorship contracts did not come from the club's owners, but from the Abu Dhabi government. Man City argues that if the funds originated from the Abu Dhabi government rather than the club's owners, then this arrangement does not violate Premier League rules.

However, The Telegraph points out that this claim contradicts a statement Etihad Airways submitted in 2015 during a U.S. government investigation into state-owned airlines.

In a 60-page document, Etihad Airways stated: "Claims that the Abu Dhabi government funded Etihad Airways' sponsorship of Premier League club Man City are factually incorrect. In 2011, Etihad Airways signed a 10-year sponsorship agreement with Man City, which includes naming rights to Man City's stadium. Etihad Airways used its own working capital to fund this sponsorship."

The document was submitted at that time to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx, and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker, accompanied by a five-page explanatory letter signed by James Hogan, then president and CEO of Etihad Airways.

Etihad Airways also stated in its submission to the U.S. government: "We are a state-owned enterprise, and have been since our establishment. We have always made clear that we do not receive any subsidies from the Abu Dhabi government, and our funding sources derive from a combination of equity capital, shareholder loans, and commercial borrowing. The equity capital and loans provided by our shareholders—the Abu Dhabi government—do not constitute subsidies under any current definition, but rather represent a reasonable investment by the Abu Dhabi government in a successful business model."

The Telegraph also notes that Man City's current position differs from the stance the club took when appealing related UEFA charges to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in 2020. At that time, Man City asserted that all sponsorship contract payment obligations were the responsibility of the respective sponsors.

However, it is understood that Man City does not believe these Etihad Airways statements to the U.S. government at that time weaken its appeal. Rather, Man City believes these documents may actually strengthen its defense.

Man City's legal team is expected to argue that Etihad Airways received funds from the Abu Dhabi government's office to promote Abu Dhabi. Once these funds entered Etihad Airways, they became part of the airline's "working capital." Therefore, Man City contends this is not the same as the Abu Dhabi government directly paying Man City on behalf of Etihad Airways.

Man City officially announced on Friday that it will appeal the independent panel's guilty verdict. The club asserts there is "an irrefutable body of evidence" proving the panel's findings are factually incorrect.

The Telegraph has compared several key statements at issue. In May 2015, Etihad Airways told the U.S. government that its sponsorship of Man City was not government-funded; in July 2020, then-Etihad Airways CEO Hogan also maintained that "the sponsorship was not government-funded" in the Court of Arbitration for Sport case regarding Man City's sponsorship agreements; however, by September 2024, when Man City defended itself against Premier League charges, it claimed the sponsorship funds came from the Abu Dhabi government.

Meanwhile, other Premier League clubs are pushing for any potential penalties against Man City to be enforced this season if the appeal fails. Reports suggest potential sanctions could include relegation, points deduction, and fines, with some also calling for Man City's Abu Dhabi owners to sell the club. However, with Man City having appealed, final penalties remain unconfirmed.

The FA has also indicated potential action. Before Man City officially announced its appeal decision, the FA stated: "The independent panel's verdict has significant implications for the integrity of football. We are carefully studying this verdict and its implications, and will act as appropriate. As proceedings between the Premier League and Man City Football Club remain ongoing, we do not intend to comment further at this stage. However, we will continue to monitor developments closely."

During the international break, most of Man City's Premier League rivals have refrained from public comment. However, Aston Villa manager Unai Emery spoke on Friday, saying that if Man City's appeal fails, it would cause "some damage."

Emery said: "We are all restricted. To comply with financial fair play rules, we must sell players and also consider how to structure contracts for new signings. Club owners often have significant financial resources, but the purpose of financial fair play rules is to ensure financial sustainability—meaning you can only spend money you generate, not artificially inflate revenue."

"If other clubs have genuinely artificially inflated revenue, and these are now coming to light, then clearly that will cause some damage. This should be decided by the courts and relevant authorities."

Emery added: "I feel sorry that football was played that way by that club. Under Pep Guardiola, there were times when they were truly unstoppable."

The case was originally triggered by whistleblower Rui Pinto's disclosure of a large cache of documents, which led to the Premier League investigation. The Telegraph reports that Pinto has been under witness protection for six years, but this protection is set to end. His Portuguese and French legal teams issued a joint statement saying: "His situation is now extremely dangerous. The threats against him are not merely theoretical; in April this year, he was attacked in Lisbon."

Pinto was previously convicted of five counts of unauthorized access to computer systems, three counts of breach of communications privacy, and attempted extortion, and was sentenced to four years in prison suspended.

Website AF đã ra mắt! Xem tin tức đầy đủ, bình luận, chi tiết trận đấu và thống kê trên máy tính. Truy cập: www.allfootballapp.com