Manchester City have sacked the media firm at the centre of an embarrassing PR blunder.

Sportsmail can disclose that PHD Media Manchester were behind an advert aimed at recruiting social media influencers to boost the appeal of City's European matches - and can also reveal that the club has now terminated its relationship with the agency.

Officials at the Etihad Stadium were left seething when an ad displayed on the app Tribe, which connects brands with those who carry large social media followings, asked for recruits to 'get across the great atmosphere' of Champions League games - sparking widespread ridicule.

Manchester City have sacked media firm PHD Media following an unauthorised advert asking for social media influencers to promote the Etihad Stadium atmosphere at European games

The firm advertised for social media influencers to boost the appeal of the club's matches against Dinamo Zagreb, Atalanta and Shakhtar Donetsk at the Etihad Stadium

The ad, which City insiders say the club had no knowledge of and did not give permission for, declared that 'core fans are less likely to attend' thanks to the 'three relatively unknown' opponents in their group (Dinamo Zagreb, Shakhtar Donetsk and Atalanta).

It also specified that they were seeking 'Mancunians and/or Man City fans' before adding 'We want to get across the great atmosphere of the Etihad Stadium through the use of influencers who can tell an authentic and genuine story of what it's like to be at the game.'

City declined to name the agency in question. It is understood they did so as a gesture of goodwill.

City fans hold up a banner ahead of their Champions League fixture with Atalanta this week

However, despite their co-operation, it is understood that club officials were left deeply unhappy with PHD's perceived unwillingness to take responsibility for their actions.

As a result, they informed the company, with whom they have worked in the past, that they would no longer be using their services.

The advert asked for males aged between 18 and 55 who could create content that is 'fan-centric which has an element of FOMO [fear of missing out] at its core' and 'showcases the electrifying atmosphere that only Champions League live football matches can deliver'.

City drew a crowd of 49,308 for their match against Atalanta on Tuesday, which they won 5-1

City drew a crowd of 49,308 for Tuesday's 5-1 Champions League victory over Atalanta, which was around 4,000 short of capacity for the competition.

Jon Kershaw, managing director at PHD Manchester, explained that the agency was investigating what happened.

'The brief we issued to Tribe fell short of the high standards that PHD Manchester is committed to delivering for its clients and we regret any negative impact on Manchester City FC,' he said. 'We are reviewing our internal processes as a result of this matter.'