Man City saga takes shock twist just hours after club appeal Premier League ruling

City have already confirmed that they appealed against the guilty verdict.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has reportedly warned UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham that it will pull billions of pounds of funding out of the UK if the guilty verdict on 114 of the 115 charges brought against Manchester City by the Premier League is upheld.

It first emerged on September 25 that City had been found guilty of the majority of the charges brought against them by the Premier League following an independent commission review.

All charges relate to a nine-year period between 2009 and 2018, with City winning three Premier League titles during this time. City have since appealed the verdict and maintain their innocence.

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As expected, the story has sent shockwaves through the world of football and is now having an impact on the UK’s political relations with the UAE, with City’s owners, the Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG), hailing from the Gulf state.

The owner of ADUG, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, is currently vice president and deputy prime minister of the state, as well as a minister of the president's court and a member of the ruling family of Abu Dhabi.

As reported by The Telegraph, the UAE has warned UK Prime Minister Burnham, who previously served as mayor of Greater Manchester, that it will pull billions of pounds of investment from the UK in retaliation for the verdict against City.

This comes after Burnham was accused of praising City’s owners.

When asked by BBC News whether he was worried that City’s owners might sell up, he replied: “Well, I would be really concerned to lose them. They've been such a huge partner in the building of modern Manchester. Obviously, the building of Manchester City into the global force that it is.

“I can't intervene more in the process. It would be wrong for me to do that. It would be wrong, I think, to jump to a conclusion before having really studied all of the detail, but obviously it's ongoing, and because it's still contested by Manchester City, then I think it's right that I don't say much more.”

Several members of the Tory party condemned his comments, branding them “completely out of touch”, forcing Downing Street to backtrack by releasing a statement saying no team is “above the rules”.

A No. 10 spokesperson added: “He also stressed that it is an ongoing independent process. It is essential that it is allowed to run its course and the outcome respected.

“Wherever wrongdoing is established, those responsible should face the appropriate consequences.”

Should the guilty verdict be upheld, the club could face serious sanctions ranging from a points deduction to relegation or expulsion from the Premier League.

Several key players, such as Erling Haaland, would likely leave if the club were punished harshly and ended up playing in a lower division.

City deny any wrongdoing and say they have a “comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence that exists” to support their position.

City confirmed their decision to appeal the verdict on Friday, with the club issuing the following statement: “Manchester City Football Club can confirm that at 7pm on Thursday 1st October 2026 the Club lodged its comprehensive Appeal against the opinion of the Premier League Commission, in relation to the Premier League disciplinary matter.

“The Club’s firm position is that, on multiple grounds, the opinion contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact and is unsafe.

“The 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.

“We will continue to respect due process and are necessarily restricted in what we can say further until all proceedings are complete.”

READ MORE: FA release statement over Manchester City FFP case with warning over 'integrity of the game'

Luke has covered sport – including football, MMA, cricket, and boxing – for SPORTbible since 2024, having previously freelanced at Reach and JOE. When he isn't writing for SPORTbible, he's following Everton home and away. Luke also created and hosted a podcast interviewing guests from singers and bands to footballers and boxers.

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