Burnham 'really concerned' if Man City owners sell up after rule breaches
55 minutes ago
Andy Burnham has said he would be "really concerned" if Manchester City's owners decide to sell up after the club was found guilty of Premier League financial rule breaches.
The prime minister said the situation was "contested by Manchester City" and he praised the club's owners since 2008 - led by Sheikh Mansour, United Arab Emirates deputy prime minister and royal family member - for investing 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 continue to deny any wrongdoing and have until 2 October to submit an appeal.
It comes as the Independent Football Regulator – set up by the government in 2025 – said the case had raised "serious issues".
The regulator suggested it would be exploring options – including whether to strip the owners of their licence to own the club – once the disciplinary process was completed.
Among the independent panel's findings were that City arranged "sham contracts" with a number of commercial partners as part of a scheme to disguise secret funding of more than £830m.
The Premier League said City "systematically broke Premier League Rules for nearly a decade".
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