London: The English Premier League added to the mystery over Frank Lampard’s status by confirming he is under contract at Manchester City and does not have a formal deal with partner club New York City FC.
The league statement came after The Associated Press on Monday highlighted the confusion over Lampard’s status amid continuing silence by the teams.
The NY team, which debuts in Major League Soccer in March, announced last July that Lampard signed a two-year contract, and used it to promote the sale of jerseys and season tickets.
Shortly afterward, Man City said Lampard was returning to the Premier League on loan to stay match fit for his New York debut. But the announcement has been removed from the team website, and City never used the term “loan” again.
MLS told the AP that although Lampard had not signed a contract with NYCFC, the midfielder had one with City Football Group, the umbrella company for the portfolio of clubs owned by Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Mansour.
Premier League has investigated the matter and confirmed that no integrity rules have been breached because Lampard’s only contract is with Man City and he is not on loan. “Frank Lampard is registered with Manchester City FC until the end of the 2014-15 season,” it said. (AP)
