British Prime Minister Andy Burnham held meetings with Manchester City Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak during his tenure as the mayor of Manchester, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has confirmed. This disclosure follows significant political pressure and public criticism regarding comments Burnham made after the Premier League found the club guilty of serious financial misconduct.
The controversy emerged after the Prime Minister remarked that he would feel “really concerned” if the club’s owners decided to sell the team following the verdict. The findings alleged that the reigning Premier League champions breached over 100 financial regulations between 2009 and 2018, specifically by using “sham” contracts to artificially inflate revenues while minimizing operational costs. According to the announcement on Monday comes after Burnham, He would be “really concerned” if City’s owners sold the football club following the decision to find the 10-time English champions guilty of breaching the Premier Leag.
As a result of Burnham’s initial comments, Downing Street was forced to issue a clarification, emphasizing that no individual or entity is “above the rules.” This sparked demands for full transparency regarding the Prime Minister’s professional relationship with the club’s ownership, the Abu Dhabi United Group, which is controlled by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the UAE royal family.
Detailing the interactions, a GMCA spokesperson stated that Burnham participated in a formal meeting with Al Mubarak in October 2021 during the UK Government’s Global Investment Summit. The session was organized by the Department for International Trade.
Additional records indicate that during his time as mayor from 2017 to June 2026, Burnham attended Manchester City home matches on a limited basis as a guest. This included the testimonial match for Vincent Kompany in September 2019, where he engaged in an informal conversation with the chairman. The authority noted these interactions were declared through standard official procedures.
The GMCA further explained that it was common practice for local sporting clubs to join business delegations during mayoral international trips. Similar arrangements saw staff from Manchester United accompany delegations to Dublin and Austin, while Lancashire Cricket Club joined visits to India, and Manchester City personnel supported trade missions to Japan and China.
Despite these explanations, the opposition Conservatives have pushed for more detail. Louie French, the party’s spokesperson for sport, argued that the provided statement offered “precious little information” about the substance of the meetings or any potential agreements reached during those encounters.
French characterized the disclosure as insufficient, stating it fell far “from the full transparency that football fans deserve.” He added that Burnham must take personal responsibility rather than relying on the GMCA to address the concerns.
Manchester City, who are currently challenging the verdict, have labeled the decision as unsafe, citing “clear material errors, of law, principle and fact.” The club faces severe potential sanctions, including the possibility of a major points deduction or expulsion from the Premier League, should their appeal prove unsuccessful.
