Prime Minister Andy Burnham stated he would be “really concerned” if Manchester City’s owners chose to sell the club following an independent commission’s ruling that found them guilty of significant financial rule breaches. The club faces consequences regarding the majority of 115 charges leveled against them, a verdict they are expected to challenge ahead of an October 2 deadline for appeals. Erling Haaland has been Manchester City’s star striker in recent seasons. The club continue to deny any wrongdoing and have until 2 October to submit an appeal. Leaving City and the league in a state of chaos and uncertainty, city can appeal both the guilty verdicts and the sanction. Some fans and pundits have questioned how the club’s owners can carry on if they deliberately breached rules over the course of nine years. According to asked by political editor Chris Mason if he was concerned that Manchester City’s owners would now sell the club, Burham, On Wednesday: “I would be really concerned to lose them.
While acknowledging the gravity of the findings, the prime minister emphasized that the situation remains “contested by Manchester City.” He credited the club’s ownership group, led by United Arab Emirates deputy prime minister Sheikh Mansour, with playing a vital role in both the club’s rise to global prominence and the broader economic development of Manchester since 2008. They’ve been such a huge partner in the building of modern Manchester and obviously the building of Manchester City into the global force that it is.
An independent panel recently concluded that the club utilized “sham contracts” to obscure over £830m in secret funding. The Premier League has characterized the actions as a systematic violation of financial regulations over a nearly ten-year span. An upcoming sanctions hearing, which may take months, will determine the final punishment, with potential outcomes ranging from heavy fines and point deductions to potential expulsion or the stripping of titles earned during the period in question. Among the independent panel’s findings were that City arranged “sham contracts” with a number of commercial partners as part of a scheme to disguise secret funding of more than £830m. Being deducted points or ejected from the Premier League, to being stripped of the eight trophies they had won in the affected period, the punishment could range from a huge fine.
The newly formed Independent Football Regulator, established by the government in 2025, has noted that the case raises “serious issues.” The regulator is currently evaluating various options for oversight, including the potential to revoke ownership licenses upon the conclusion of the disciplinary proceedings.
Reflecting on the controversy, the prime minister admitted that while there is “a lot at stake” for the local community and supporters, he is hesitant to take sides. He drew a parallel to his own experiences while serving as mayor of Greater Manchester and as a supporter of Everton, which faced its own point deduction in November 2023 for financial rule violations.
“Everton was in this position a few years ago and you might remember that I fought for Everton in that situation because I still hold the view very firmly that they weren’t fairly treated in that process,” Burnham stated. He suggested that hindsight has shifted public opinion regarding how Everton was handled, noting that it would be “wrong of me to leap to one side” in the current City case, adding that it is “frustrating when people rush to judgement.”
Despite these observations, the prime minister affirmed he would not intervene in the process. He reiterated his confidence that his past interactions with the City Football Group while serving as mayor would withstand any necessary scrutiny. The club, meanwhile, remains steadfast in its position, issuing a statement expressing that they are “both disappointed and surprised by the opinion of the Premier League Commission” while maintaining their innocence regarding all accusations.
