Andy Burnham ‘Really Concerned’ if Man City Owners Sell Club

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has expressed concern over the possibility of Manchester City’s owners selling the club following the independent commission’s findings on the Premier League’s financial-rule case.

Burnham said the departure of the City Football Group would concern him because of the ownership’s investment in Manchester since taking control of the club in 2008.

“I would be really concerned to lose them,” Burnham told the BBC’s political editor Chris Mason.

“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.”

The prime minister’s comments followed the independent commission’s findings that Manchester City breached Premier League financial rules over a nine-season period. The Premier League said the commission found the club had used “sham” commercial arrangements and misstated financial information during the period under review.

Manchester City have rejected the findings and have until October 2 to lodge an appeal.

Burnham said the case remained “contested by Manchester City” and stressed that it would be inappropriate for him to intervene while the disciplinary process is continuing.

The Independent Football Regulator has described the case as raising “serious issues” and indicated that further action could be considered after the football disciplinary process concludes, including questions surrounding the owners’ licence to operate the club.

The Premier League said the commission found that arrangements involving Manchester City’s commercial partners formed part of a scheme that artificially inflated revenues and reduced costs by more than £900 million during the affected period.

The league also said the commission concluded that City had “systematically broke Premier League Rules for nearly a decade”.

A separate sanctions process will determine the consequences of the findings. The Premier League says the available sanctions include fines, points deductions and other sporting measures, with the process subject to further appeal.

Burnham, who was mayor of Greater Manchester before becoming prime minister, defended his previous relationship with City’s ownership.

“I do actually thank the City Football Group and the wider ownership for the money that they didn’t just put into the Etihad [Stadium] and the campus around it but also into the city,” he said.

He said he was confident his dealings with the club’s owners during his time as mayor would “stand up to scrutiny”.

The prime minister also cited Everton’s financial-rule case, recalling that he had defended the club after it received a 10-point deduction in 2023, which was subsequently reduced to six points following an appeal.

“So it would be wrong of me to leap to one side given the experience that I’d had before becoming prime minister,” Burnham said.

“It is frustrating when people rush to judgement.”

Burnham said “a lot” was at stake for Manchester City, its supporters and Manchester generally, but maintained that he should stay out of the ongoing disciplinary process.

Manchester City have said they were “both disappointed and surprised” by the commission’s findings and continue to deny wrongdoing.

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