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One of the directors, Ian Ayre, suspects that the sponsorship deal worth almost 460 million euros between the club and Etihad Airways could be fraudulent.
It is said that the company based in Abu Dhabi, owned by Manchester City's owner Sheikh Mansour, artificially inflated the sponsorship amount so that "Man City" would not have problems with UEFA due to new financial regulations. According to them, clubs in the near future will be able to spend only as much money as they earn, otherwise risking losing their place in European cup competitions.
"Are Etihad, Man City, and Sheikh Mansour connected? If so, UEFA must intervene," said Ayre. "There has been a lot of talk about such cases."
A few days ago, a similar doubt was expressed by Arsenal's manager Arsene Wenger in London.
"It is a sign that the rules can be circumvented and one can do whatever they want," said the Frenchman. "The fate of the new rules depends on such decisions. If they are to be effective, sponsorship amounts must reflect market prices."
Man City denies that the amount allocated by Etihad is so large - it has not been officially confirmed. As part of the deal, the club's stadium was renamed on behalf of the company and the contract was extended, which includes advertising on shirts.
