Football news - Manchester City could face UEFA sanctions over alleged financial doping

A report by German newspaper Der Spiegel via hacked documents from Football Leaks claim City's Abu Dhabi owner Sheikh Mansour paid chunks of alleged inflated deals with club sponsors to comply with UEFA Financial Fair Play regulations.

A huge £59.5m of an agreement with club sponsor Etihad Airways worth £67.5m was apparently financed by Mansour.

City allegedly also had to make up losses of £9.9m in 2012/13 to meet FFP regulations due to terminating manager Roberto Mancini's contract.

City's chief financial officer Jorge Chumillas is quoted as saying in the report: "I think that the only solution left would be an additional amount of AD (Abu Dhabi) sponsorship revenues that covers this gap."

An editorial in Der Spiegel said: "For years now, the Manchester City football club has vehemently denied that its owner, the sheikh of Abu Dhabi, broke financial rules. But internal emails tell a different story, providing evidence of backdated contracts, illusory sponsoring payments and cavalier, "We can do what we want," business practices."

There is apparently concern about the manner in which the Der Spiegel documents were obtained with hacked or stolen documents set to be dismissed by the football authorities, but more revelations due out between Tuesday and Thursday are expected to further embarrass the City brand.

City have already been fined £49m in 2014 - £32m of which was suspended - for a breach of FFP rules.

Der Spiel alleges that City's financial reports are "a web of lies".

"We cannot comment on specific cases due to confidentiality obligations which UEFA must respect," said UEFA in a statement in the Daily Mail.

Etihad Airways said in a statement: "The airline's financial obligations, associated with the partnership of the club and the broader City Football Group, have always been, and remain, the sole liability and responsibility of Etihad Airways."

CIty have said they will not comment on the claims.