UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has expressed concern over the possibility of Manchester City losing their current owners following the Premier League’s verdict in the club’s financial case.
Burnham said he would be “really concerned” if Manchester City’s owners decided to leave the club, highlighting the City Football Group’s investment in the club and the wider Manchester community.
The Prime Minister praised the ownership group’s contribution to the development of Manchester City and its surrounding infrastructure, including the Etihad Stadium and the club’s campus.
Burnham also stressed that he would not intervene in the Premier League’s disciplinary process, saying it would be inappropriate to reach a conclusion before studying the details of the independent commission’s findings.
His comments come after the Premier League confirmed that an independent commission had found Manchester City guilty of all charges relating to serious breaches of the competition’s financial rules over a nine-season period from 2009/10 to 2017/18. The commission also upheld three of four alleged breaches relating to the club’s cooperation with the Premier League’s investigation.
According to the Premier League, the commission found that City used sham commercial agreements that artificially inflated revenues and reduced costs by more than £900 million, while also filing misstated accounts and concealing aspects of its finances from auditors and regulators.
Manchester City have denied wrongdoing and have indicated that they will appeal the commission’s findings. The Premier League said the question of sanctions will be dealt with separately by the independent commission.
Burnham’s remarks therefore come as Manchester City’s ownership, the club’s future and the potential consequences of the verdict remain under scrutiny.
