Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he would be "really concerned" if Manchester City's owners decided to sell the club amid the financial breaches case. His comments have sparked debate over whether he is out of order for defending the club.
Manchester City has been found guilty of breaching financial regulations set by the Premier League. An independent commission found that the club concealed more than £830 million in funding, breaching rules over a period of nine years.
Premier League findings and possible sanctions
The Premier League said City "systematically broke Premier League Rules" with the independent panels noting that the club had "sham contracts" as part of their secret funding scheme.
A sanctions hearing will be held to decide the punishment, which could be a huge fine, deducted points, ejection from the Premier League, or being stripped of the eight trophies they won during the affected period.
Burnham's defence of the club and owners
Mr Burnham has been vocal about the case, saying that he would be "really concerned" if Manchester City's owners decided to sell the club. Manchester City is majority-owned by the City Football Group (CFG), led by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan through his private investment vehicle, the Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG).
Mr Burnham told the BBC: "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 is." He also thanked the CFG and wider ownership for their investment in both the stadium and the city.
Comparison with Everton case and City's response
Mr Burnham also previously defended Everton in its Premier League case. In November 2023, the club were charged and deducted 10 points (reduced to six on appeal) for minor breaches.
The former mayor of Greater Manchester said: "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."
He drew a comparison between that and City's current predicament, adding: "I remember people proclaiming Everton guilty at the time and with hindsight I think more people would say that wasn't fair, the way that was handled. So it would be wrong of me to leap to one side given the experience that I'd had before becoming prime minister." He added that it is "frustrating when people rush to judgment"; however, he noted that it would be wrong for him to intervene.
In a statement on Tuesday, Manchester City said: "The Club is innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League and a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of all of its positions, relating to this case. The Club will therefore be relentless, and where necessary proactive, in any and all appropriate regulatory and legal forums."
The statement continued: "The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements uncompleted. Manchester City FC will now pursue the appeal avenues open to it, on the basis that the opinion contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact, and is unsafe."
The club added: "The Club has diligently respected due process for eight years on the basis that the Premier League Board and Executive would behave as an independent, impartial and fair-minded regulator, free from partisan influence. The Club is obviously restricted in what it can say further until all future proceedings are complete."
