Manchester City arrive at Anfield under a heavier cloud than usual. As the club waits to learn the punishment for 114 financial-irregularity charges covering the 2009-10 to 2017-18 seasons, one of the sponsors visible around the first team has received a major penalty in the United States.
The news from the club
Cryptocurrency exchange OKX, a Manchester City partner since 2022 and the name displayed on the club’s training kit, has been fined £400 million (€471 million) by a New York court for breaches of US anti-money-laundering rules.
The court found that the company enabled suspicious transactions and deposits connected to criminal activity worth more than $5 billion. OKX is led by Chinese billionaire Mingxing “Star” Xu.
The exchange has also faced investigations in China, South Korea, Thailand and the Netherlands. In Canada, it previously paid a penalty exceeding £700,000 for operating without legal authorisation.
The development adds an unwanted off-pitch issue for City while the club awaits a potentially unprecedented sporting sanction following the financial case.
Anfield on Sunday
City’s first match since the finding on the 114 charges is scheduled for Sunday at Liverpool, with kick-off at 17:30 at Anfield.
OKX had been expected to appear on the sleeve of City’s playing shirts for the fixture, placing the sponsor’s branding in view during one of the English calendar’s most closely watched meetings.
