Etihad Airways is considering legal action against the Premier League after it published the core findings of an independent commission into Manchester City’s alleged financial rule breaches. The airline says the findings and the Premier League’s public statements have harmed its reputation, even though it was not named in the published decision.

The commission found that City artificially inflated revenue by £900m through sponsorship contracts it described as sham arrangements, secretly funded by the club’s owners, Abu Dhabi United Group. Etihad, the UAE’s state-owned airline, has been City’s principal shirt sponsor since 2009 and agreed a £400m stadium naming-rights deal in 2011, later extended on improved terms. It says the Premier League did not contact it during the investigation and says it will seek legal advice; City has until Friday to appeal.