Sportsupdated 1h ago3 min read
Premier League Clubs Fear Political Interference After Andy Burnham Comments On Manchester City Appeal
Premier League clubs say Burnham's comments sparked concern over political interference in City's appeal. Clubs were shocked by Burnham downplaying the verdict against City.
Burnham sparks appeal fears
Premier League clubs feared political interference in Manchester City’s appeal after Prime Minister Andy Burnham told the BBC he would be “really concerned” if City’s owners decided to sell following the club’s guilty verdict for Premier League financial rule breaches.
BBC Sport reported that senior club figures were “astonished” by Burnham’s comments and said the remarks put the Independent Football Regulator in a difficult position.
Burnham said he had not downplayed the seriousness of the findings, telling the BBC: “I said that last week and I will repeat it again. I think it's incumbent on everybody now to let the process run its course.”
The sources also pointed to the sensitivity of Burnham’s past relationship with Manchester City during his nine years as mayor of Greater Manchester, from 2017 to early this year, when he supported foreign investment tied to the club’s Abu Dhabi ownership.
The Independent Commission held a 42-day hearing in 2024 before delivering last month its verdicts finding the club in several breaches, and the penalty-setting hearing was still to come while City’s appeal would be heard by a separate independent appellate body.
Clubs call remarks bizarre
Premier League sources told BBC Sport that some senior figures found Burnham’s comments “absolutely bizarre,” while another source described them as “at best naive and at worst quite manipulative, and that is not a good look.” Burnham responded to the BBC story by insisting: “No I haven't downplayed the seriousness of the findings.” Kemi Badenoch demanded that No 10 release all details of meetings between the prime minister and senior figures at the club, and BBC Sport said the pressure reflected Burnham’s relationship with City’s Abu Dhabi ownership during his time as mayor.
A separate club source told BBC Sport that scrutiny now makes political interference “extremely difficult,” and the same source said “Everyone would have a degree of concern” depending on how much people read into the comment. TalkSPORT also said clubs feared City’s case was at significant risk of political interference, and it described Burnham’s stance as raising questions about why he commented and about the timeline for sanctions if City’s appeal fails.
What happens next for City
Manchester City continued to deny any wrongdoing and lodged an appeal against the independent commission’s verdict, while Sky Sports said the club described the judgement as “opinion” and claimed it “contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact and is unsafe”. Sky Sports reported that the independent commission found that between 2009/10 and 2017/18 City arranged “sham” contracts as part of a “disguised funding scheme” to artificially inflate the club’s revenues by £830m. Sports Illustrated said Premier League rules set a schedule for the appeal, with an appeal filed on October 1, a five-day hearing within 12 weeks, a deadline to conclude the appeal of December 24, and a deadline to know the verdict of January 23, 2027.
Sports Illustrated also said the tribunal could uphold or reject the claim, change the sanction or order imposed at first instance, and modify or annul a compensation set by the Commission, while Ferran Soriano said: “We will be tireless in our work and focus on the independent appeal process and also on all other legal avenues available to win the case, and we will take all necessary measures to protect the club.” Vanguard News said Pep Guardiola was expected to return to the Etihad Stadium for the Champions League clash against Paris Saint-Germain next Wednesday, and it said Guardiola reaffirmed his support for City, saying: “I want every single Manchester City fan across the world to know I am here more than ever.”