Andy Burnham has said he would be "really concerned" if Manchester City's owners decide to sell the club in the wake of the independent commission's guilty verdicts on the majority of the 115 Premier League rule-breach charges they faced. Speaking to the BBC from Hill Dickinson Stadium — home of Everton, the club he supports — the prime minister was measured in his response to the seismic findings, but left no doubt about how much he valued the ownership group's contribution to Greater 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 said. He went further, praising the City Football Group not only for their investment in the Etihad Stadium and the surrounding campus but for what he described as a wider financial commitment to the city itself.

A prime minister in an awkward position

Burnham, who served as Mayor of Greater Manchester until June, acknowledged there is "a lot at stake" for supporters, the club and the region. Yet he was equally clear that he did not intend to wade into the substance of the case. The situation, he noted, remained "contested by Manchester City", and he drew a pointed parallel with Everton's own brush with Premier League financial regulations.

In November 2023, Everton were docked ten points for breaching profit and sustainability rules — a penalty later reduced to six on appeal. Burnham has long maintained that Everton were not fairly treated in that process, and he used that experience to argue against rushing to judgement now. "I remember people proclaiming Everton guilty at the time and with hindsight I think more people would say that wasn't fair, the way that was handled," he said. For a sitting prime minister to invoke his own club's grievances while addressing the biggest scandal in English football's recent memory is, at the very least, an unusual window into Burnham's thinking.

What the verdict actually found

The independent commission's findings were stark. Among its conclusions, it determined that City had arranged what it described as "sham contracts" with commercial partners as part of a scheme designed to disguise secret funding of more than £830 million. The Premier League said the club had "systematically broken Premier League Rules for nearly a decade". City, for their part, have insisted they are "both disappointed and surprised" by the commission's opinion and maintain their innocence. They have until 2 October to submit an appeal and are widely expected to do so — contesting both the verdicts themselves and, once a sanctions hearing is convened, any punishment that follows.

That sanctions hearing could take months to arrange, meaning a period of prolonged uncertainty now stretches ahead of the club, the league and the fans. The range of available penalties is vast: from substantial fines or points deductions at one end, to expulsion from the Premier League and the stripping of up to eight trophies won during the affected period at the other. The market, predictably, is paying close attention.

The regulator enters the frame

Adding another layer to an already complicated picture, the Independent Football Regulator — established by the government in 2025 — said the case had raised "serious issues" and indicated it would be exploring its own options once the disciplinary process had concluded. One avenue reportedly under consideration is whether to remove the current ownership's licence to run the club. That possibility is presumably central to Burnham's concern: an ownership vacuum at one of English football's biggest clubs, at a moment of maximum instability, is not something any civic leader in Manchester would welcome.

Burnham was careful to note he was confident his own interactions with City's ownership group during his time as mayor would stand up to scrutiny. Whether or not the broader picture does the same is now for the appeal process — and, in time, the regulator — to determine. For now, English football waits.

FAQs

Frequently asked

What did Man City actually get found guilty of?
An independent commission found Manchester City guilty of the majority of 115 charges of Premier League financial rule breaches. Among the key findings was that the club had arranged 'sham contracts' with commercial partners to disguise secret funding of more than £830 million over a period of nearly a decade. City deny all wrongdoing and are expected to appeal.
What punishment could Man City face?
A separate sanctions hearing will decide the penalty, and that hearing could take months to convene. Possible outcomes range from large fines or points deductions through to expulsion from the Premier League. The commission could also recommend stripping City of trophies won during the period covered by the charges. City can appeal both the verdict and any sanction.
Could Man City be relegated or thrown out of the Premier League?
Expulsion from the Premier League is theoretically among the punishments available to the sanctions hearing, though it would represent an unprecedented outcome in English football. A points deduction — similar to, but far larger than, what Everton and Nottingham Forest received for separate financial breaches — is considered a more likely scenario by many observers, though nothing has been decided.