English referee Michael Oliver is once again in the spotlight amid the ongoing financial scandal surrounding Manchester City.
Claims have emerged online suggesting that Oliver and other English referees allegedly received payments for officiating matches in the UAE in 2023. One report estimates that Oliver's involvement could be worth around £20,000.
What we know about Oliver's work in the UAE
It has been confirmed that Michael Oliver worked in the UAE in 2023. In September of that year, he officiated a match between Sharjah and Al Ain in the UAE championship, with other English officials also part of the team on that occasion.
This trip was sanctioned by the FA and PGMOL, but it has since prompted a review of the practice of inviting English referees to one-off matches in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Where the questions arose
Some reports link the payments to referees for matches in the UAE with companies connected to Abu Dhabi and the owners of Manchester City. Specifically, it is claimed that the funding could have originated from entities associated with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company.
