Manchester City reportedly lodged a complaint against Premier League commentator Jim Beglin after he called the home of the Premier League champions ‘The Emptyhad’ – a play on words of their actual stadium name ‘Etihad’.
The report from the Daily Mail states that Beglin was quick to give a half-hearted apology after dubbing the Etihad Stadium ‘the Emptyhad’ in their 1-0 win over title rivals Chelsea on Saturday – a nickname that has become part of their rivals’ vocabulary in recent years due to perceived poor attendance figures in east Manchester.
Officials at City were highly unimpressed with the comments, and they are understood to have complained to Premier League Productions whilst the game was ongoing.
The Citizens reportedly believe that they do not get an equal representation in the media, with a lack of their former players being chosen for punditry in comparison to other clubs.
But Beglin was quick to apologise for his words, tweeting that he has “respect” for City and “in no way was a verbal error intended to cause offence.”
Pep Guardiola’s men have taken flack from their rivals in recent years for their apparent lack of ticket sales at home fixtures, though their average attendance of 52,500 fans means there are around just 900 vacant seats per home game.
“What I care about is that after everything we have won after six years, these guys still give everything for this club,” he said.
“That is difficult to find. We are humble to run without the ball every game.
“This is our biggest achievement. To win and win, in this country, in this league, this is my best title I have and the best I will have when I leave.”