Manchester City have been caught in a huge storm over the Premier League financial breaches and now Andy Burnham faces a political headache over the news
Prime Minister Andy Burnham
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has been warned over the Man City charges(Image: Rasid Necati Aslim/Anadolu via Getty Images)
View 2 Images
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) are reportedly warning Andy Burnham that it will pull billions of pounds of investment out of the UK in retaliation for the guilty verdict against Manchester City. The Blues face an uncertain future in the Premier League after being found guilty of all financial charges by an independent commission.
The panel found that City breached the regulations over nine years between 2009 and 2018, with the club originally charged in 2023. The eight-time Prem champions will appeal the verdict.
City, who have always denied any wrongdoing, now face a nervous wait on a punishment before the appeal, with rival clubs said to be pushing for any sanctions to be imposed this season. Speculation is growing over whether City could be stripped of titles from the period they have been found to have breached top-flight rules.
Relegation, a huge points deduction and possibly a fine are also on the cards, with a panel set to decide their fate - the outcome of which will depend on City's appeal.
And The Telegraph now claim that the UAE is threatening to pull the plug on billions of pounds the Government was seeking in private investment for a hi-tech hub between Oxford and Cambridge.
FOLLOW OUR MAN CITY FB PAGE!Latest news and analysis via the MEN’s Manchester City Facebook page
Downing Street told the paper on Friday night that it did not dispute reports that the decision to find City guilty had “undermined” the UAE’s “appetite for future grand-scale UK commitments”.
The news will concern UK Prime Minister Burnham, who initially said he would be “really concerned” if the UAE decided to sell City. He was later forced into a climbdown, with Downing Street insisting no team was “above the rules”.
The Etihad Stadium among bushes
Manchester City have lodged an appeal(Image: Getty Images)
View 2 Images
Senior football figures have told BBC Sport that City's punishment should be handed down before the end of this season. It is said that those spoken to see no reason why the case cannot be concluded by the end of the 2026/27 campaign.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, one club official said: "It benefits everyone for this to be resolved as quickly as possible."
When asked if they believed it would be, they said: "Instinctively yes, but it has to be done right.
"We can all see what the risks are if it's not. But those risks have been there throughout the process, as they've won the league multiple times during it."