Manchester City's defence for their appeal against the Premier League's guilty verdict has been leaked. City were found guilty of 114 out of 115 breaches of the Premier League's financial rules on Tuesday afternoon - but the club have denied all wrongdoing.
Appeal argument leaked
City have until Friday (October 2) to lodge their appeal - and a report now suggests City's argument is that the money was actually paid by the government, which owns the sponsors, rather than the club's owners Abu Dhabi United Group - meaning no rules were broken.
According to the Daily Mail, City's "irrefutable evidence" is bank statements and witness accounts that prove the sponsorship deals are from government-funded companies.
Key question in the case
The report adds that City will argue the case comes down to one question: did the money come from the sponsors, the sponsors' owners (the Abu Dhabi government) or the club's owners?
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