Andy Burnham’s Man City intervention sparks fresh questions as pressure mounts on owners – Exclusive
Andy Burnham’s intervention in the Manchester City financial case has raised eyebrows among legal figures, with one leading sports lawyer warning that political comments risk adding pressure to an already unprecedented disciplinary process, TEAMtalk can reveal.
The Man City story has taken another dramatic turn after Prime Minister Andy Burnham publicly admitted he would be “really concerned” if the club’s Abu Dhabi-backed ownership were to leave the Etihad.
These comments have prompted questions over the appropriateness of political intervention while the club’s battle with the Premier League remains unresolved.
Man City were found guilty by an independent commission of serious financial-rule breaches following a four-year Premier League investigation.
The commission found that Man City had arranged what it described as “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 Man City had “systematically broken Premier League Rules for nearly a decade”.
Man City continue to deny any wrongdoing and have until Friday, October 2 to appeal the findings. The commission has yet to determine the sanction, with the potential consequences ranging from a financial penalty to sporting punishment, including a points deduction or even expulsion from the Premier League.
Burnham: ‘I would be really concerned to lose them’
While Man City prepare their appeal, the political ramifications of the verdict are already becoming apparent.
Burnham, who previously served as Mayor of Greater Manchester, was asked about the possibility that Man City’s current owners could ultimately be forced to sell the club.
His response was unequivocal. “I would be really concerned to lose them.”
Burnham praised the contribution of the City Football Group and its wider ownership since Sheikh Mansour’s takeover in 2008, pointing not only to investment in the Etihad Stadium and surrounding campus but also to wider investment in Manchester.
“They’ve been such a huge partner in the building of modern Manchester and obviously the building of Manchester City into the global force that it is.”
Burnham 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.”
The comments are significant because the ownership question is no longer merely theoretical.
The Independent Football Regulator has said the case raised “serious issues” and suggested it could explore options, including whether to strip the owners of their licence to own the club, once the disciplinary process is complete.
Commission task made more ‘difficult’
Dan Chapman, one of the UK’s leading sports lawyers and a long-time observer of the Man City case, believes Burnham’s comments could create an uncomfortable situation for those tasked with determining the consequences of the commission’s findings.
Speaking exclusively to TEAMtalk, Chapman said: “Whilst I suspect that the Prime Minister’s comments were less about the Independent Commission’s decision or how they should approach sanction in due course, and more about his thoughts on the impact to the city of Manchester were the club’s owners to decide to exit stage left, I think he may be advised by those close to him that it was not the wisest of interventions.
“This case needs to be dealt with by the Commission on its factual and legal merits, as does any appeal or other legal process, in accordance with the rule of law. Usually, politicians are quick to understand this, hence why we regularly see banal but proper comments from them along the lines of ‘We cannot make any comment on this case whilst the legal process remains underway’.
“It is therefore unusual to see a Prime Minister willing to express a view on a live legal case, even if he might have thought he was addressing a wider contextual set of issues rather than the legal case itself.
“What cannot be forgotten in this case, in particular, is the suggestion from some quarters – Bloomberg for example – that political pressure will be applied to the UK from UAE to influence the case. It could be said that it is not a helpful feature of that debate when the Prime Minister might have given a perception that he is, I am sure unintentionally, lobbying.”
Commission task made more ‘difficult’
Chapman has previously suggested that the case could ultimately head to the High Court as well as various appeals through the arbitration process and believes the commission now faces further external pressure as the fallout continues, including from City sponsor Etihad Airways.
“The Commission already has an extremely difficult and complex task ahead of them when dealing with sanction, and I doubt they are thankful for any additional pressure being placed upon them by anyone, let alone the Prime Minister,” he added.
“This is particularly so given we now also see that Etihad Airways are threatening legal action against the Premier League, though their complaint of not being consulted by the Premier League about the matter seems somewhat odd.
“If it is true they had no idea their sponsorship arrangement was being scrutinised or challenged, they might want to address their angst at that to the Club they sponsored.”
The political sensitivity is heightened by the identity of City’s ownership.
Sheikh Mansour’s Abu Dhabi United Group took control of Manchester City in 2008, transforming the club’s financial position and helping establish City as one of the dominant forces in English and European football.
The commission’s findings have, however, placed some of the club’s commercial arrangements under intense scrutiny. Etihad Airways, the club’s principal shirt sponsor since 2009, has said it is considering legal action against the Premier League and has rejected any suggestion that it was involved in improper commercial arrangements. The airline has also complained that it was not consulted during the investigation.
Despite the commission’s findings, Man City have maintained their innocence.
The club said it was “disappointed and surprised” by the opinion and insisted that it possesses what it describes as a “comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence” supporting its position. City have pledged to challenge the findings through the appropriate regulatory and legal channels.
For Burnham, however, the issue extends beyond football.
His comments underline the extent to which Man City’s ownership has become intertwined with the economic and political story of Manchester and even the United Kingdom as a whole now the Prime Minister is involved.
