Andy Burnham spooks clubs over political interference in Man City appeal

Several Premier League clubs say they are concerned about possible political interference in Manchester City’s appeal after Prime Minister Andy Burnham appeared to play down the verdict’s impact in comments to the BBC. BBC Sport reports that senior figures were left “absolutely bizarre” by what they heard, with some pointing to Burnham saying he would be “really concerned” if the club’s owners decided to sell.

Club sources questioned what Burnham’s remarks were meant to achieve and argued they put the Independent Football Regulator in a difficult position. The process around the charges is said to be separate from the Premier League: an independent commission held a 42-day hearing in 2024, leading to the verdict announced last month, with a separate sanctions hearing still to come. City continues to deny wrongdoing.

An independent process

The appeal will be heard by a separate independent appeal board. While one source said the heightened scrutiny around Burnham would make interference “impossible”, another insisted that “everyone would have a degree of concern”, depending on how much you read into the comment.

Burnham’s interview came the day after his remarks, and he referenced a previous Premier League case involving Everton when asked about “Brand Manchester”. Everton were initially deducted 10 points, later reduced to six on appeal after breaching financial rules. Downing Street then clarified that no-one is “above the rules” and that the process is ongoing and independent, later amending wording from “if” to “wherever” following criticism. The prime minister is also under pressure over his past ties to the Abu Dhabi ownership while mayor of Greater Manchester.