John W. Henry and Arsene Wenger both previously called out Man City for their financial dealings in 2011
Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and Liverpool owner John W. Henry
Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and Liverpool owner John W. Henry(Image: Getty Images)
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One of John W. Henry’s most iconic moments as Liverpool owner came when he called out Arsenal for their efforts to try and sign Luis Suarez in the summer of 2013.
Making his thoughts known on the social media platform then known as Twitter after the Gunners tried to activate a release clause in the striker’s contract by bidding £40m and £1, he memorably wrote: “What do you think they're smoking over there at Emirates?”
But perhaps his post now has competition after an even older tweet of Henry’s gained fresh traction after Man City were found guilty of 114 of 115 charges related to alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules between 2009 and 2018.
The Premier League released a damning statement on Tuesday confirming the verdict of an independent panel as they detailed City’s wrong-doings during the period.
What punishments Man City should face after Premier League deliver damning verdict
This included how City arranged ‘sham’ contracts with a number of its commercial partners and sponsors in order to misrepresent the true financial agreement between the parties, to artificially inflate the club’s revenues and reduce its costs, and whereby companies were only required to pay a portion of the relevant sponsorship fees, with the remainder funded by club owners Abu Dhabi United Group Investment & Development Ltd (ADUG).
For the record, City continues to insist their innocence and intend to appeal against the decision.
But one such deal was called out by former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger back in 2011, with Liverpool owner Henry taking to social media to voice his own stance as he backed the Frenchman.
City announced a record-breaking £400m sponsorship deal with Etihad Airways, with the 10-year deal worth £40m-per-year to the club.
Yet such totals far exceeded Arsenal’s own arrangement with Emirates, agreed in 2004, which was valued at £90m over 15 years.
City’s arrangement with Etihad saw their ground renamed the Etihad Stadium, the company provide financial backing for the Etihad Campus around the ground, and extend its sponsorship of the club’s shirts - having already been paying £2.3m a year for the rights.
In contrast, around £48m of Arsenal’s deal came via shirt sponsorship with the stadium naming rights with Emirates worth £2.8m a year.
"We must have done a bad deal," Wenger said, dryly, at the time as he urged UEFA to investigate and accused City of bending financial fair play rules.
"It raises the real question about the credibility of the financial fair play," he said. "That is what this is all about. They give us the message that they can get around it by doing what they want.
“It means financial fair play will not come in. It is as simple as that. I can understand how they do it but it raises the real question. The difficulty and the credibility of the financial fair play is at stake.
"Plus, if the financial fair play is to have a chance, the sponsorship has to be at the market price. It cannot be doubled, tripled or quadrupled because that means it is better that we don't do it and we leave everybody free. That can be defended as well, but if they bring the rules in they have to be respected."
City would hit back at Wenger in a statement as they defended the deal and called his comments about the partnership ‘unfounded and regrettable’.
But Henry would wade in on the controversy as he sided with Wenger, writing on social media: "A club's best player has to be worth at least 10% of your naming rights. Mr. Wenger says boldly what everyone thinks."
Rival clubs have long had their suspicions about Man City’s dealings, and they have now been vindicated after the club were found guilty.
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