Andy Burnham 'really concerned' if Man City owners sell up after rule breaches
Ewan Somerville and Henry Zeffman
Getty Images
Erling Haaland has been Manchester City's star striker in recent seasons.
Andy Burnham has expressed his concern if Manchester City's owners decide to sell up following the club's financial rule breaches. The Prime Minister acknowledged the situation is "contested by Manchester City" and praised the club's owners since 2008, led by Sheikh Mansour, United Arab Emirates deputy prime minister and royal family member, for their investment in Manchester.
An independent commission found the club guilty of the majority of the 115 charges they faced, a verdict that City are expected to appeal. The club continues to deny any wrongdoing and has until 2 October to submit an appeal.
This comes as the Independent Football Regulator, established by the government in 2025, raised "serious issues" regarding the case. They suggested exploring options, including revoking the owners' licence to own the club, once the disciplinary process is complete.
The independent panel's findings included that City arranged "sham contracts" with several commercial partners to disguise secret funding of over £830m. The Premier League stated that City "systematically broke Premier League Rules for nearly a decade."
The independent panel will hold a sanctions hearing to determine the punishment, which could range from a substantial fine, points deductions, or even expulsion from the Premier League, to the revocation of the eight trophies won during the affected period.
Some fans and pundits question how the club's owners can continue if they deliberately breached rules over nine years.
When asked by the BBC's political editor, Chris Mason, about his concern regarding the potential sale of Manchester City, Burnham replied:
"I would be really concerned to lose them. 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."
AFP via Getty Images
Manchester City's owners have contributed significantly to the development of a large area around the Etihad Stadium.