Downing Street has insisted Manchester City are not “above the rules” after Prime Minister Andy Burnham faced criticism over his response to the Premier League club’s financial case.
Burnham said on Wednesday he would be “really concerned” if City’s owners decided to sell the club following the guilty verdict by the independent commission.
His comments drew criticism from the Conservatives and surprised some within football, prompting the No 10 to clarify the Prime Minister’s position on Thursday.
“As the Prime Minister made clear, the initial judgment is serious and there can be no suggestion that anyone is above the rules,” a Downing Street spokesman said.
“He also stressed that it is an ongoing independent process, it is essential that it be allowed to follow its course and that the result be respected.
“Wherever a breach is established, those responsible should face appropriate consequences.”
The City Council denies the violations and has until Friday to file an appeal against the commission’s conclusions.
The Premier League said this week that City “systematically broke Premier League rules for nearly a decade”, and the independent commission found the club arranged “bogus contracts” with business partners as part of a scheme involving more than £830m in disguised funding.
Burnham would be “very concerned” if the city’s owners left
Burnham, who served as mayor of Greater Manchester until June, discussed the verdict during an interview with the BBC on Wednesday.
He stressed that he did not want to interfere with the Premier League’s disciplinary process and emphasized that City are continuing to challenge the findings.
Burnham said it would be “wrong” to “jump to a conclusion” while the process is still ongoing.
However, when asked about the possibility of City’s owners selling the club as a result of the case, Burnham highlighted his contribution to Manchester since taking over in 2008.
“I would be very worried about losing them,” Burnham said.
“They have been such a great partner in building modern Manchester and obviously in building Manchester City into the global force that it is.
“I cannot intervene any further in the process, it would be wrong for me to do so.”
City has been owned by Sheikh Mansour since 2008. Mansour is a member of the ruling family of Abu Dhabi and serves as the Deputy Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates.
