Amid Manchester City’s fight to retain their Premier League title, the Financial Fair Play charges are again back with the club as they face a new dilemma off the field.

While the fans with Manchester City tickets anticipate the most awaited fixtures in the Premier League, they also focus on their team’s game-changing charges. 

Arsenal’s title rivals Manchester City, could face a game-changing situation as they deal with 115 financial charges from the Premier League.

This revelation comes as Etihad’s owner, Abu Dhabi-based investment company ADQ, reportedly plans to go public on the stock exchange this year. 

Several charges against the City are circling the deal agreed upon between City management and their sponsorship deal with Etihad Airlines. 

According to a report by the German publication Der Spiegel, the airline, the primary sponsor, only shelled out £8 million of their official £67.5m obligation to City for the 2012-13, 2013-14, and 2015-16 seasons.

The rest allegedly came from the Abu Dhabi United Group.

What does this mean? It means that a fraudulent transaction between the clubs will breach the financial rules set by the Premier League and UEFA. It could also lead to improper documentation and workings, linking to the top executives of Etihad. 

City Denies Charges 

 City strongly deny the charges. 

In a statement in February 2023, the City claimed that they were surprised by the alleged breaches and the vast amount of detailed materials that the EPL has provided. 

The club welcomed the independent commission to look at the data and pledged to support the inquiry. 

Recent news from the Middle East suggests that Etihad is preparing for an Initial Public Offering (IPO). According to The Mirror, this would mean opening up their accounts for everyone to see, which could allow the club to settle the case finally.

Stock market experts believe Etihad would unlikely allow such access if it risked revealing evidence of fraud. 

“If it came to light that Etihad executives were indeed involved in manipulating the sponsorship deal with City, it could seriously damage the company’s reputation in the eyes of potential investors,” a senior figure in the investment banking industry told The Sunday Mirror.

In the case of Etihad now opting for an IPO, they will also need to reveal any ongoing investigation into the company’s account before the IPO. 

While the allegations regarding the rules and regulations are severe, the accusation is that City’s executives colluded with the tEithad top brass and lied. 

These were recorded in the club’s independent audit and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

“By extension, this also calls into question what information City’s owners disclosed to Silverlake before the American private equity firm bought a significant stake in the club in 2019. 

That’s why the Premier League’s allegations go way beyond accusing City of failing to meet Profit and Sustainability Rules.”

CAS ruled that even the thought of a plot involving bosses from both City and Etihad, as well as those from Abu Dhabi and members of the country’s Royal family, was out of the question almost four years ago when they stopped a two-year Champions League ban against the club by UEFA for not following FFP rules.  

City’s boss, Sheikh Mansour, wrote a letter to back it up during the appeal.

City also managed to have its hefty £25.75m fine canceled but had to pay an £8.6m penalty for not helping with UEFA’s investigation. 

Etihad, a state-owned airline currently, has been City’s sponsor since the summer of 2011, when a 10-year deal was first announced.

Kyle Walker Injury Update 

Ahead of the crucial games in the Premier League that will decide whether City takes the title, Manchester City defensive playmaker Kyle Walker is facing injury woes, which is causing a lot of anxiety for the fans with Manchester City tickets. 

Walker is now facing the crucial assessment time to understand the severity of his injury. 

The England star was forced off during Saturday night’s match against Brazil, and England boss Gareth Southgate has admitted they’re still unsure about the extent of his injury.

Walker is a crucial asset in the City lineup and was a key figure in the club’s treble last season. With the title on the line, the true severity will be known in a few days.  

This comes ahead of a crucial title clash with Arsenal next weekend, reports the Manchester Evening News.

Walker started from the off for the Three Lions at Wembley Stadium. However, his 82nd cap for his national team ended after 20 minutes when Ezri Konsa replaced him. While the English fans were disappointed, the subset of fans with Manchester City tickets were even more devastated. 

The defender appeared to have suffered a hamstring injury, and upon being taken off, he headed straight down the tunnel and toward the dressing room. 

England lost the international friendly fixture as 17-year-old striker Endrick scored the winner in the 80th minute. After the game, Southgate was quizzed on the severity of Walker’s injury.

Southgate added that he did not know the true extent of the injury and that he was feeling something but could not give a clear answer. He also added that Walker is not a player who gets injured too often and should return to playing shorty. 

For the fans, Kyle Walker took to Instagram to add that everything is fine. 

A little over 12 hours after the injury, Walker posted a message on social media to provide an update. 

The Man City defender expressed his frustration at being forced to be withdrawn early in the game for England and was optimistic about the severity of the injury—promising to be back ‘as soon as possible’ ahead of the clash against Arsenal. 

This was a consolation for the fans who bought Manchester City tickets. 

Manchester City are currently eyeing the UEFA Champions League and the Premier League title, with the side in crucial must-win situations. Having Walker is crucial for their success.