Some Premier League clubs were so astonished by comments made by Andy Burnham that appeared 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 say he would be “really concerned” if Manchester City’s owners decided to sell up after the club were found guilty of Premier League financial rule breaches. They have questioned what his comments were designed to achieve and said the intervention had put the Independent Football Regulator in a difficult position.
Senior club sources described the remarks as “absolutely bizarre”, adding that they were “at best naive and at worst quite manipulative, and that is not a good look”. A different source called them “clumsy”, while another said they were surprised the prime minister had “misspoken”.
Asked about potential interference in the process in light of Burnham’s comments, one senior club source said: “Everyone would have a degree of concern. How much would depend on how much you read into that comment. I think everyone is concerned. Because no-one is stupid around the table. We understand the geopolitics as well. We understand the investment they have made in our country. I don’t think anyone could doubt that or criticise that. But this is different, this is sport, this is our national game.” Another club source, however, said the degree of scrutiny now on Burnham meant they believed any interference would be impossible.
The process involving the charges against Manchester City is independent of the Premier League. An independent commission held a 42-day hearing in 2024 which led to the verdict announced last month, with a sanctions hearing still to come, and a separate independent appeal board will hear City’s appeal. The club continues to deny any wrongdoing.
Burnham’s position is complicated by his relationship with the club’s Abu Dhabi ownership during his time as mayor of Greater Manchester, and he is under increasing pressure over it. The scrutiny has reached the point that Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has demanded No 10 release all details of meetings between the prime minister and senior figures at the club. Downing Street has sought to clarify that Burnham’s view is that no-one is “above the rules”, but his comments have nonetheless sparked unease among some senior Labour figures who fear his initial remarks have had major cut-through with voters.
The comments came in an interview with the BBC’s political editor Chris Mason the day after the verdicts were announced. Asked about “Brand Manchester” taking a hit, the prime minister drew a parallel with a previous Premier League case involving Everton, saying he still held the view “firmly” that they “weren’t fairly treated” — Everton were deducted 10 points, later reduced to six on appeal, by an independent commission for breaching Premier League financial rules. Asked whether he was concerned Manchester City’s owners would now sell the club, Burnham said: “I would be really concerned to lose them. 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.” He added that he thanked the City Football Group and the wider ownership for the money they had put not only into the Etihad Stadium and the campus around it but also into the city.
When the guilty verdicts were announced, Richard Masters, the Premier League’s chief executive, said the club had “systematically broke Premier League rules for nearly a decade”. A No 10 spokesperson subsequently said: “As the prime minister made clear, the initial judgement is serious and there can’t be any suggestion that anyone is above the rules. He also stressed that it is an ongoing independent process. It is essential that it is allowed to run its course and the outcome respected. If wrongdoing is established, those responsible should face the appropriate consequences.” That statement was amended after further criticism over the use of the word “if”, which was changed to “wherever”.
The political sensitivity runs deeper than Burnham’s own career. Manchester City’s dominance of English football has overlapped in large part with a period of economic growth for the city of Manchester and with Burnham’s nine years as mayor from 2017 until earlier this year, during which he championed investment from the Gulf as a way of growing the city’s economy — a strategy initially pursued by Manchester’s leaders before he became the inaugural elected mayor of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. The UK as a whole is also eager to trade with the UAE, an important diplomatic ally in the region at a time of turmoil and war, while the Premier League is viewed by governments of different political stripes as one of the country’s major cultural exports, leaving ministers eager for the row not to cause lasting damage to its brand.
Being a football fan is a core part of Burnham’s political persona. He is an Everton season ticket holder and, before becoming prime minister, spoke of hoping to continue sitting in his usual seat at Hill Dickinson Stadium, something that has not been possible because of security concerns — as was also the case for Sir Keir Starmer, his Arsenal-supporting predecessor. Last month Burnham floated the prospect of lifting the ban on football fans drinking in the stands, though it was quickly clarified that this is not in fact government policy.