Home Football Manchester City will refuse to wear Emirates sleeve patches in the FA Cup for the third time because the Dubai-based airline is a direct competitor of Etihad Airways, the club’s primary jersey sponsor

Manchester City will refuse to wear Emirates sleeve patches in the FA Cup for the third time because the Dubai-based airline is a direct competitor of Etihad Airways, the club’s primary jersey sponsor

Football — 01/06/2024

Due to a disagreement with sponsor Etihad, Manchester City will once again refuse to wear Emirates sleeve patches in FA Cup games this season.

Emirates, a Dubai-based airline, sponsors the league, and City begin their championship defense against Huddersfield Town at home on Sunday afternoon.

On one sleeve, teams involved in the FA Cup frequently wear a rectangular red patch with the competition symbol and Emirates branding.

City were allowed an exemption from wearing the patch when Emirates became the FA Cup’s sponsor in 2015 since its sponsors Etihad, based in Abu Dhabi, are a direct competitor in the aviation industry.

In the May final, City did not wear the red Emirates patches, but rival Manchester United did. City won 2-1, completing the second leg of their Treble.

Manchester City don't wear the Emirates FA Cup sleeve patch when they play in the competition as it clashes with their main shirt sponsor Etihad, a rival airline

Manchester City do not compete with the Emirates FA Cup sleeve patch since it contradicts with their principal jersey sponsor, Etihad Airways, a competitive airline.

Manchester United players wearing the Emirates patch during last year's FA Cup final

Last year, Manchester United players wore the Emirates patch to the FA Cup final.

Pep Guardiola had little choice but to give Friday's press conference previewing City's third round tie with Huddersfield Town in front of a red Emirates backdrop

On Friday, Pep Guardiola had little choice but to conduct a press conference in front of a red Emirates background to preview City’s third-round match against Huddersfield Town.

In the 2019 final, when City demolished Watford 6-0, they took a subtle shot at Emirates by changing the wording of their front-of-shirt sponsor from ‘Etihad Airways’ to ‘Choose Etihad’.

However, City cannot escape the competition’s bright red Emirates logo, with manager Pep Guardiola holding his pre-match press conference in front of such a backdrop on Friday.

Emirates was also inscribed on the blue ribbons connected to the trophy after they won the FA Cup at Wembley last year.

City will be heavy favorites to move to the third round against Huddersfield, who sit just one place above the Championship relegation zone.

Guardiola could be without Rodri and attacker Erling Haaland against the Terriers.

Rodri may miss the game owing to the loss of his grandmother, while Haaland hasn’t played since December 6 due to a foot injury.

In their 2019 FA Cup final win over Watford, City had 'Choose Etihad' on their shirts

City defeated Watford in the 2019 FA Cup final wearing ‘Choose Etihad’ shirts.

Everton's Arnaut Danjuma sports the Emirates patch at Crystal Palace on Thursday night

Everton’s Arnaut Danjuma wears the Emirates patch against Crystal Palace on Thursday night.

Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku have returned to training following injuries, but Guardiola may hold them out of the Premier League game against Newcastle next Saturday.

Bernardo Silva, Kalvin Phillips, Matheus Nunes, and Scott Carson were also listed as sick by the city manager.