Manchester City v Liverpool: Banner asking for release of activist in UAE flown over stadium

The banner – organised by Everton fans – was flown over the stadium early in the second half

A banner protesting against Everton’s 10-point penalty for breaching financial rules was flown over the Etihad Stadium during Manchester City’s Premier League match with Liverpool.

The banner – which read ‘Premier League = corrupt’ – was organised by Everton fans’ group The 1878s.

It flew over during the second half of Saturday’s lunchtime fixture.

Earlier, a banner requesting the release of a prominent activist in the United Arab Emirates was flown over.

What’s the background to the Everton banner?

Everton have been given the biggest sanction in Premier League history, dropping them from 14th in the table to 19th.

English top-flight clubs are permitted to lose £105m over three years, and an independent commission found Everton’s losses to 2021-22 amounted to £124.5m.

The club have said they intend to appeal, and Everton boss Sean Dyche said on Friday they felt “aggrieved” by the “disproportionate” punishment.

Supporters are planning further protests at their Premier League fixture against Manchester United at Goodison Park on Sunday (16:30 GMT).

In February, City were charged with more than 100 breaches of the league’s financial rules following a four-year investigation. That case is ongoing, and City have denied any wrongdoing.

City boss Pep Guardiola said the 115 charges they face represented a “completely different” case to Everton’s and could not be compared.

BBC Sport has approached the Premier League for comment.

What’s the background to the Ahmed Mansoor banner?

In the first half of Saturday’s match, a banner reading ‘UAE: Free Ahmed Mansoor’ had been flown over the stadium.

It was organised by human rights group Amnesty International.

Mansoor was jailed for 10 years in 2018 for “defaming” the country.

City owner Sheikh Mansour is the UAE’s vice-president, deputy prime minister and part of the Emirati royal family.

In 2011, Mansoor was one of five activists arrested after calling for political or economic reforms. All were later pardoned by authorities.

The banner flown over the Etihad Stadium by a light aircraft said: ‘UAE: Free Ahmed Mansoor’

Four years later, Mansoor received the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders for what was cited as his work in raising concerns about arbitrary detention, torture and degrading treatment in the UAE, in the face of repeated intimidation and harassment.

He was seized by security agents in 2017 and a year later imprisoned for reportedly using social media sites to “publish false information that damages the country’s reputation” and to “spread hatred and sectarianism”.

Earlier this month, Amnesty wrote to Manchester City Council leader Bev Craig to urge the council to “publicly call” on the UAE government to release Mansoor.

Amnesty International UK’s chief executive Sacha Deshmukh said: “We’re calling on City fans to join us in this campaign to free Ahmed.

“Today’s plane stunt is a way of saying: ‘Look up from the pitch and see the bigger picture – a huge injustice has occurred, and the owners of Manchester City are the ones who can right this wrong.'”

BBC Sport has approached Manchester City for comment.