The outcome of the Premier League's probe into Manchester City is understood to have put 'significant strain' on the diplomatic relationship between the UK and the United Arab Emirates, with billions of pounds of project investment at stake.
Bloomberg UK reports that 'frustration on both sides' has escalated due to the fallout surrounding the case. City are owned by a private company run by Sheikh Mansour, a member of Abu Dhabi's royal family and the vice president of the UAE.
In a bombshell judgment, City were found guilty of the vast majority of the 115 charges levelled against them by the Premier League, with the League saying this week that 'sham' sponsorship deals had been inflated by around £900million.
City today confirmed they have appealed against the verdict - with potential punishments if they do not succeed including a points deduction, heavy fines or even expulsion from the Premier League.
As Daily Mail Sport reported on Thursday, they are set to argue that the disputed money came from the Abu Dhabi government-owned sponsors, rather than the club’s owners – and was therefore not against the Premier League rules.
But, according to Bloomberg, Emirati officials have warned the UK government that the severity of the ruling could undermine their appetite for future grand-scale UK commitments, according to people familiar with the matter.
City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak (left) with owner Sheikh Mansour
City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak (left) with owner Sheikh Mansour
City were proved over their dealings between 2011 and 2018, when they won three league titles
City were proved over their dealings between 2011 and 2018, when they won three league titles
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Over recent years the UAE has spent more than £30billion in major UK sectors, including defense, life sciences and technology.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham this week hailed the impact of City's owners and thanked them for their wider investment in Manchester.
'I would be really concerned to lose them,' said Burnham. ‘They’ve been such a huge partner in the building of modern Manchester.’
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