No 10 says Man City are not 'above the rules' after backlash to Burnham comments
Downing Street said Manchester City are not "above the rules" after criticism of Andy Burnham's remarks about the club's breaches of Premier League financial rules, following the prime minister's Wednesday comment that he would be "really concerned" if the club's owners sold up.
The clarification from No 10 came after the prime minister's interview prompted accusations from the Conservatives that his comments were "completely out of touch" and "extraordinary" and surprised members of the football community. In a statement Downing Street said "the initial judgement is serious and there can't be any suggestion that anyone is above the rules". A No 10 spokesperson added: "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. "Wherever wrondoing is established, those responsible should face the appropriate consequences." Man City deny any wrongdoing and have until Friday to submit an appeal, and sources told BBC Sport they are expected to argue key sponsorship deals were funded by the Abu Dhabi government rather than the club's owners.
An independent commission found Manchester City guilty of most of the 115 charges they faced, including arranging "sham contracts" with commercial partners to disguise secret funding of more than £830m. The Premier League said City "systematically broke Premier League Rules for nearly a decade". The independent panel will hold a sanctions hearing, which could take months to convene, to decide potential punishments that could include a huge fine or a points deduction.
In an interview with the BBC's political editor Chris Mason, Burnham — who was mayor of Greater Manchester until June — said he was "not getting directly involved in the process", that it must be undertaken independently by the Premier League and that the situation was "contested by Manchester City" and it would be "wrong" to "jump to a conclusion". Asked if he was worried the club's owners might sell up, 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. "I can't intervene more in the process, it would be wrong for me to do that." He also compared City's case to Everton's 2023 charge and said he "hold[s] the view very firmly that they weren't fairly treated in that process".
Conservative politicians accused Burnham of "publicly backing the owners even as the investigation continues" and questioned whether "political pressure" was being applied. Shadow minister for sport Louie French called for the government to "keep politics out of football and ensure the Premier League's independent commission can do its job free of outside influence" and said: "The club face unprecedented allegations and fans are horrified by what they are reading in the papers. "Yet Burnham is publicly backing the owners even as the investigation continues. Fans will rightly ask whether political pressure is being applied here and how it relates to the owners' well‑reported investments in Manchester. "Football must be governed independently, with the rules applying equally to everyone. Fans deserve confidence that no club or owner is above those rules."
The case has prompted parliamentary scrutiny: the chairwoman of the Commons Treasury committee, Dame Meg Hillier, wrote to HMRC asking for reassurance that it has "seized of the importance" of the case for any potential tax implications. The chairman of the Independent Football Regulator, David Kogan, said the case had raised "serious issues" and that the IFR — set up by the government in 2025 — "has powers to assess the suitability of owners, directors and executives and we will use these powers where appropriate", while "taking account of the findings made by the Leagues"; he added that proceedings remain ongoing and he hoped for a quick resolution.
City have until Friday to lodge an appeal against the independent commission's findings; the next formal step will be the convening of a sanctions hearing by the panel to determine any punishment, a process its organisers say could take months to complete.
