![\"Etihad\"](\"https:\/\/dailybusinessgroup.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Etihad-SKY.png\")
Andy Burnham is facing a growing crisis over the Manchester City affair after the United Arab Emirates warned the Government it could cancel billions of pounds of investment in the UK over the Premier League\u2019s ruling.<\/p>\n
Emirati officials said \u201cthe Premier League\u2019s actions\u201d would \u201chave an influence on the bilateral state relationship\u201d, Bloomberg<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n The Telegraph<\/em> adds that the UAE is threatening to scrap billions of pounds of private investment for a hi-tech Silicon Valley-style hub between Oxford and Cambridge.<\/p>\n On Thursday, Downing Street insisted the guilty verdict against City is \u201cserious\u201d, after Mr Burnham, said he would be \u201creally concerned\u201d to see the current owners sell up.<\/p>\n However, Conservative shadow sport minister Louie French had accused Mr Burnham of \u201cpublicly backing the owners\u201d amid a probe into the club\u2019s funding over recent years, describing his comments as \u201cfrankly extraordinary\u201d.<\/p>\n Speaking about the owners in television interviews, the Prime Minister said: \u201cThey\u2019ve been such a huge partner in the building of modern Manchester. Obviously, the building of Manchester City into the global force that it is.\u201d<\/p>\n Asked also if his dealings with the club would stand up to scrutiny, he said: \u201cI do actually thank the City Football Group and the wider ownership for the money that they didn\u2019t just put into the Etihad and the campus around it but also into the city \u2013 but yes, of course.\u201d<\/p>\n Downing Street was forced to issue two clarifications of his position on Thursday, with a spokesperson for the PM insisting the guilty verdict against Manchester City is \u201cserious\u201d.<\/p>\n Former Manchester City and FA chairman David Bernstein said he was \u201cconcerned\u201d about Mr Burnham\u2019s comments and the issue was \u201csomething that politicians should be seen to be staying well away from\u201d.<\/p>\n The club was found guilty by the Premier League of 114 charges related to breaches of financial rules between 2009-10 and 2017-18.<\/p>\n An independent commission found City arranged \u201csham\u201d commercial deals with a number of its sponsors during the period, which were part of a disguised funding scheme, whereby those companies were required to pay only a portion of the relevant sponsorship fees.<\/p>\n The commission found that the remainder was funded by Abu Dhabi United Group Investment & Development Ltd (ADUG), which owned the club.<\/p>\n Manchester City on Friday lodged an appeal. In a statement, it said: \u201cThe club\u2019s firm position is that, on multiple grounds, the opinion contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact and is unsafe.<\/p>\n \u201cThe club is innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League and a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of all of its positions, relating to this case.<\/p>\n \u201cWe will continue to respect due process and are necessarily restricted in what we can say further until all proceedings are complete.\u201d<\/p>\n City will argue that the government of Abu Dhabi \u2013 not the club\u2019s owners \u2013 part-funded the sponsorship deals.<\/p>\n \t <\/div>\n