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Andy Burnham expressed concern over potential consequences for Manchester City after the club was found guilty of significant breaches of Premier League financial rules. The independent panel's findings revealed that Manchester City engaged in "sham contracts" to disguise secret funding worth more than £830 million over nearly a decade. Burnham praised the club’s owners, led by Sheikh Mansour, for their investments in Manchester and stated he would be concerned if they were to sell the club due to these issues.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-30,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Manchester City has been found guilty of nearly all 115 charges related to breaching Premier League financial regulations, according to reports by The Athletic. These charges span a period from 2009 to 2018 and include failure to provide accurate financial information, player payment details, and compliance with UEFA's financial fair play rules. Despite the reported decision, City maintains that its case is "ongoing" and has not confirmed any sanctions yet. The club plans to appeal for months if found guilty, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. Potential punishments could include stripping titles from Man City, which would elevate Liverpool's 2013-14 title claim. Jurgen Klopp previously welcomed such an outcome but stressed that no decision on sanctions has been made yet. This saga began in 2018 when emails allegedly uncovered by a hacker suggested the club manipulated financial information to comply with regulations. UEFA and the Premier League subsequently launched investigations, leading to the recent verdict. The full implications of this ruling remain uncertain as the legal process continues.
Written for “Man City Premier League Charges Verdict” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 83 other(s) covering the same event.
- Published
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.
asserted
club → publish → 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.
asserted
he → say → Manchester
An independent commission found the club had breached the majority of the Premier League financial rules they were accused of breaking, a verdict that City are expected to appeal.
asserted
City → find → that
The club continue to deny any wrongdoing and have until 2 October to submit an appeal.
asserted
club → continue → appeal
It comes as the Independent Football Regulator – set up by the government in 2025 – said the case had raised "serious issues".
asserted
case → come → 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.
uncertain
process → suggest → club
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".
asserted
City → arrange → decade
The independent panel will hold a sanctions hearing – which could take months to convene – to decide the punishment.
uncertain
which → hold → punishment
City can appeal both the guilty verdicts and the sanction, leaving City and the league in a state of chaos and uncertainty.
asserted
City → appeal → chaos
The punishment could range from a huge fine, being deducted points or ejected from the Premier League, to being stripped of the eight trophies they had won in the affected period.
uncertain
they → range → period
Some fans and pundits have questioned how the club's owners can carry on if they deliberately breached rules over the course of nine years.
asserted
they → question → years
Asked by the BBC's political editor Chris Mason if he was concerned that Manchester City's owners would now sell the club, Burham said on Wednesday: "I would be really concerned to lose them.
asserted
I → ask → them
Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester until June, added: "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".
asserted
they → add → city
He said he was "of course" confident that his own interactions with City's owners when he was mayor would stand up to scrutiny.
asserted
he → say → scrutiny
Burnham made his comments amid widespread shock in football about the scale of the independent commission's findings – and the strength of Premier League comments about City's actions.
asserted
Burnham → make → actions
Burnham was speaking to the BBC from Hill Dickinson Stadium, the home of Everton, the team he supports.
asserted
he → speak → Everton
Everton had their own run in with Premier League financial rules when they were charged and deducted 10 points for more minor breaches in November 2023, reduced to six on appeal.
asserted
they → charge → appeal
Burnham said: "Everton was in this position a few years ago and you might remember that I fought for Everton in that situation because I still hold the view very firmly that they weren't fairly treated in that process."
uncertain
they → say → process
Drawing a comparison between that and City's current predicament, he added: "I remember people proclaiming Everton guilty at the time and with hindsight I think more people would say that wasn't fair, the way that was handled.
asserted
that → draw → hindsight
"So it would be wrong of me to leap to one side given the experience that I'd had before becoming prime minister."
asserted
I → leap → that
It is "frustrating when people rush to judgement", Burnham said.
asserted
Burnham → rush → judgement
He accepted there was "a lot at stake" for City fans, the club and Manchester itself.
asserted
He → accept → fans
But he added it would be wrong for him to intervene.
asserted
him → add → ?
City have said in a statement they are "both disappointed and surprised by the opinion of the Premier League Commission" and maintained their innocence of all the accusations made.
asserted
they → say → accusations
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