Clubs fear political interference in Man City appeal
Clubs fear political interference in Man City appeal
Thu, October 8, 2026 at 10:20 AM UTC
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Some Premier League clubs were so "astonished" by comments made by Andy Burnham - appearing to downplay the verdict against Manchester City - that they are now "concerned" about political interference in the appeal process, sources have told BBC Sport.
Senior club figures say they were shocked when they heard the prime minister tell the BBC he would be "really concerned" if Manchester City's owners decide to sell up after the club were found guilty of Premier League financial rule breaches.
They have questioned what his comments to the BBC were designed to achieve, and said it had put the Independent Football Regulator in a difficult position.
Burnham is under increasing pressure surrounding his relationship with the club's Abu Dhabi ownership during his time as mayor of Greater Manchester.
Read more about the concerns
Such is the level of scrutiny, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has demanded that No 10 release all details of meetings between the prime minister and senior figures at the club.
Despite clarification from Downing Street that Burnham's view is that no-one is "above the rules", his comments have sparked unease among some senior Labour figures who fear his initial comments have had major cut-through with voters.
Senior club sources have said they found the comments "absolutely bizarre", and that it was "at best naive and at worst quite manipulative, and that is not a good look".
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A different source said it was "clumsy", while another said they were surprised that the prime minister had "misspoken".
The entire process involving the charges against Manchester City is independent of the Premier League.
A separate independent appeal board will hear City's appeal. The club continues to deny any wrongdoing.
Can the Premier League afford to lose Man City?
BBC Sports Editor Dan Roan: There will be some clubs in the Premier League that are thinking that this needs to be managed in a way that they are not rendered extinct.
City need to come back. They are good for the league. The Premier League like the fact there's a rivalry with Liverpool and Manchester United, for example.
I think it's a difficult balance for the league to strike and its board are going to have some serious conversations over the coming weeks when they try to formulate what would be an appropriate tariff.
There will be other clubs that really want them to be hit hard and there has to be a deterrent so this never happens again because it is ultimately financial cheating.
Source: “AOL Sports”
