Andy Burnham hit back as UK PM says Man City isn’t above rules

The UK Prime Minister has pushed back on Andy Burnham’s comments amid the Manchester City financial rules investigation. Burnham said on Wednesday that he wasn’t getting “directly involved” and that it would be “wrong” to jump to a conclusion while the matter is still contested by the club.

Downing Street replied that Manchester City is not “above the rules” and stressed that the “initial judgement” is serious. It also said the independent process is ongoing, should be allowed to run its course, and that appropriate consequences apply if wrongdoing is found.

Appeal and sanctions window

Manchester City deny any wrongdoing and have until Friday to lodge an appeal. BBC Sport sources expect the club to argue that key sponsorship deals were funded by the Abu Dhabi government rather than by the owners.

Among the independent panel’s findings was that the club arranged “sham contracts” with commercial partners to disguise secret funding of more than £830m. The Premier League added that City “systematically broke Premier League Rules for nearly a decade”. A sanctions hearing could take months and may include a large fine or points deduction.