MLS commissioner Don Garber accused Manchester City of an "error in judgement" in how it handled Frank Lampard's move to New York City FC.

City and NYCFC are both owned by Sheikh Mansour, through his parent company, the City Football Group (CFG).

While it is now thought Lampard actually signed a deal with CFG, the 36-year-old was widely quoted at the time as having joined NYCFC and had an official unveiling for the club in New York.

“If there was an error in judgement on this, it was not just announcing that he would come in July and figuring out how to manage the start of the season, no different than what happened with Robbie Keane or Thierry Henry or David Beckham,” he told Sports Illustrated.

“I could understand why their fans are unhappy, and I do believe [NYCFC] will work hard to build back that trust.

“They’ve started that process already. I sensed this was coming, and it didn’t surprise me when they ultimately made their decision.

“You’re dealing with a very unusual set of circumstances. Frank has become one of the most important players in Man City’s season, and he’s scored critical goals to have them tied for first place in the Premier League.

“They were faced with a difficult decision. I’m going to be supportive of all our ownership groups, making them aware of my point of view. But we need to work hard now to move forward and recognize that Frank will be joining this team in July along with other Designated Players, who throughout the history of the Designated Player program have almost always joined in July.

“I think it’s important to say this: These guys [NYCFC] are very committed to MLS and committed to New York .... They have made an unprecedented investment in MLS and New York City, and they are going to continue to do so.”