Burnham 'really concerned' if Manchester City owners sell after Premier League breaches verdict

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he would be "really concerned" if Manchester City's owners decided to sell the club after an independent commission found it guilty of most of the 115 Premier League financial rule breach charges. Speaking on Wednesday, the lifelong Everton supporter drew a direct comparison between City's current predicament and the disciplinary case his own club faced two seasons ago.

• Andy Burnham says losing Manchester City's owners would deal a major blow to the city.
• The independent commission found the club guilty of most of the 115 charges, which City will appeal.
• The Independent Football Regulator is considering whether to strip the owners of their licence.
• Findings include sham contracts used to hide more than £830m in secret funding.
• Possible punishments range from a fine or points deduction to expulsion from the Premier League.

What Andy Burnham said about a potential Manchester City sale

Asked whether he was concerned that Manchester City's owners would now sell the club, Burnham was blunt with the BBC: "I would be really concerned to lose them." The prime minister defended the ownership group, led since 2008 by Sheikh Mansour, deputy prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and a member of the royal family.

The former mayor of Greater Manchester described the owners as "a huge partner in the building of modern Manchester" and in turning City into the global force it is today. He also highlighted their investment in the Etihad Stadium, the surrounding campus and the wider city.

I do actually thank the City Football Group and the wider ownership for the money that they didn't just put into the Etihad and the campus around it but also into the city.

How the Everton points deduction case shaped Burnham's view

Burnham spoke from Hill Dickinson Stadium, the home of Everton, the team he supports. In November 2023, Everton were charged and docked ten points for minor breaches of Premier League financial rules, reduced to six on appeal.

The prime minister said he fought for Everton at the time because he firmly believed they had not been treated fairly. "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," he explained.

That experience means he is reluctant to rush to judgment over City: "It would be wrong of me to leap to one side given the experience that I'd had before becoming prime minister." He accepted there is "a lot at stake" for City fans, the club and Manchester itself, but insisted it would be wrong for him to intervene.

What the independent commission found in the 115 charges case

The independent panel upheld the majority of the accusations against Manchester City. Among the most serious findings was the existence of what it described as "sham contracts" with a number of commercial partners, forming part of a scheme designed to disguise more than £830m in secret funding.

The Premier League was unequivocal in its assessment, stating that City had "systematically broken Premier League Rules for nearly a decade". The club, for its part, maintains its innocence and has already announced it will appeal a decision it described as disappointing and surprising.

What punishments Manchester City could face

The final sanction will be decided at a penalties hearing that could take months to convene. The range of possible outcomes is broad: from a huge fine or a points deduction to expulsion from the Premier League, including the possibility of being stripped of the eight trophies won during the affected period.

The uncertainty does not end there. City can appeal both the guilty verdict and whatever sanction is imposed, which would extend a state of chaos and uncertainty for the club and the competition alike.

Could the football regulator strip City's owners of their licence?

The case has put the Independent Football Regulator, the body set up by the government in 2025, on high alert. The institution believes the case has raised "serious issues" and has indicated it will explore a range of options once the disciplinary process has concluded.

Among the measures under consideration is the possibility of stripping the owners of their licence to own the club. Such a move would be unprecedented in English football and would add another layer of uncertainty over Manchester City's immediate future.

Manchester City's response to the Premier League verdict

The club responded to the ruling with a statement saying it was "both disappointed and surprised by the opinion of the Premier League Commission". Manchester City continues to deny any wrongdoing and has until 2 October to formally submit its appeal.

The scale of the findings has sent shockwaves through English football. Some fans and pundits are openly questioning how the owners can carry on running the club if it is confirmed that they deliberately breached the rules over the course of nine years.