A political shield: Manchester City arm themselves with diplomatic immunity against sanctions

The English club faces the possibility of being hit with heavy sanctions.

Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak enjoys diplomatic immunity, a status that could complicate any legal action tied to the Premier League's case against the club.

British newspaper "Financial Times" reports that Al Mubarak has held this immunity since 2020, when he was officially listed as an accredited member of the United Arab Emirates embassy in London by virtue of his role within the Emirati government. The British authorities recognise the status, which shields him from certain judicial proceedings in the United Kingdom.

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An independent commission has convicted Manchester City of financial breaches committed between 2009 and 2018. The ruling found the club used fictitious commercial contracts to inflate revenues and conceal costs exceeding 900 million pounds sterling.

Fallout from the case may stretch beyond the club and sporting sanctions. The officials who ran Manchester City during the period under investigation could face scrutiny from the independent football regulator, the body that governs English football and holds legal powers to remove owners or directors if it decides they fall short of the conditions of integrity and probity, according to Spanish newspaper "Sport".

The Serious Fraud Office could take an interest too. Britain's agency for investigating serious economic crimes may step in if indications emerge that Manchester City deliberately falsified its accounts in breach of United Kingdom legislation. The club categorically denies committing any breach of this kind.