Man City charges: New deals show ‘vote of confidence’ says Purslow
Former Premier League chief executive Christian Purslow believes Manchester City’s ability to secure major sponsorship deals demonstrates corporate confidence despite the 115 financial charges facing the club.
The Premier League champions have continued to expand their commercial portfolio while awaiting a ruling on historical financial allegations.
Recent agreements with fintech firm Revolut and Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD have further bolstered the club’s substantial revenue streams.
Commercial resilience
Purslow, who has held senior boardroom roles at Liverpool, Chelsea and Aston Villa, views these partnerships as significant indicators of stability.
He suggests that major global brands would be hesitant to associate with the Etihad side if they feared imminent, severe sanctions.
“They are the only club to have £700m of revenue three times,” Purslow told The Football Boardroom Podcast.
“I would also say that one metric the business community would apply to the health of top football clubs is the quality of calibre of sponsors and sponsorship deals.”
The accusations against Pep Guardiola’s side emerged in February 2023, covering a period between 2009 and 2018.
Potential punishments range from points deductions to expulsion from the top flight should the most serious charges be upheld.
‘Huge endorsement’
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the independent commission’s impending verdict, the club’s commercial operations have remained ‘business as usual’.
Purslow argues the arrival of BYD represents a commercial coup that rival teams would envy.
“One is BYD, the Chinese EV maker, one of the fastest growing companies in the world,” he added.
“Every single football club in the world would want BYD as their automotive car partner; they’ve gone to Manchester City.”
The former executive also noted that the agreement with Revolut acts as a “huge endorsement” from the financial sector.
Manchester City have consistently denied any wrongdoing regarding the charges and continue to defend their position rigorously.