Will the English club escape its predicament?British Prime Minister Andy Burnham appeared to downplay the ruling against Manchester City, and his comments have left some Premier League clubs “astonished”. So much so that they are now “worried” about political interference in the appeal process.The Premier League found Manchester City guilty on 114 of the 115 charges brought against the club over financial breaches.Burnham had told the BBC he would be “very worried” if City’s owners decided to sell the club after it was found guilty of breaching the Premier League’s financial rules.According to the “BBC”, the Prime Minister’s remarks have put the Independent Football Regulator in a difficult position.Next matchesLIVPremier League11 Oct 202623:30MCIPressure has mounted on Burnham over his relationship with the club’s Abu Dhabi owners during his tenure as Mayor of Greater Manchester.Scrutiny has reached the point that Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has demanded the Prime Minister’s office publish full details of every meeting between the Prime Minister and senior figures at the club.High-level sources at the club found the comments “very strange”, describing them as “naive at best and highly manipulative at worst, and this is not a good look”.One source called the matter “unfortunate”. Another said they were surprised the Prime Minister had “misspoken”.An independent commission held a 42-day hearing in 2024, which led to the ruling announced last month. A hearing on sanctions is still to come.A separate independent appeal panel will consider Manchester City’s appeal, and the club continues to deny any wrongdoing.
