Andy Burnham says he would be really concerned to lose Manchester City's owners
Andy BurnhamPrime Minister of the United Kingdom, in an interview with the BBC's political editor
Asked by the BBC whether he was concerned that City's owners would now sell the club, Burnham said he would be really concerned to lose them and called them a huge partner in building modern Manchester.
“I would be really concerned to lose them. They've been such a huge partner in the building of modern Manchester and obviously the building of Manchester City into the global force that it is.”
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Regulator says it can force Manchester City's Abu Dhabi owners to sell if it finds them unfit; Carragher says they must sell up, and Burnham says he would be concerned to lose them
On September 29, 2026, the Premier League published an independent commission's finding that Manchester City arranged sponsorship contracts it described as shams to disguise funding from its owner between the 2009/10 and 2017/18 seasons. City denies wrongdoing and has appealed. The findings opened a second argument, over whether the club's Abu Dhabi owners, led by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, should keep the club if the findings stand. Jamie Carragher wrote that the owners must sell up, and Gary Neville said it was hard to see how they could pass the owners' and directors' test. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he would be really concerned to lose them. The Independent Football Regulator, which can judge whether owners are suitable, says it can require an owner to step away but will not make a judgement while the appeal is pending.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
BBC News' article on the interview, recorded at Everton's stadium. It quotes Burnham comparing City's position with Everton's 2023 case and saying it would be wrong of him to leap to one side.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
BBC political editor Chris Mason asked Burnham whether he was concerned that City's owners would now sell the club, the day after the commission's findings were published. Burnham was Mayor of Greater Manchester until June.
After the quotation
He thanked the City Football Group and the wider ownership for investing in the city as well as the club, said it would be wrong for him to intervene, and said it is frustrating when people rush to judgement. He compared the case with Everton's, which he said was not handled fairly.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Burnham says he would not want to lose City's owners and praises what they have built in the club and the city, which backs their keeping the club. We labeled it Defended or excused, though he also said it would be wrong for him to intervene.
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More from this case
Read the full caseDavid Kogan says the regulator can make an owner step away but he will not be pushed into a judgement on City
“I am not going to get pushed into making any judgement on this until we've seen all of those questions being answered, and then we will have to decide whether we're going to mount our own investigation and come to a conclusion on that and what we're going to do. And pre-empting that would be a colossal mistake. ... We have the power to ask an owner to step away from a club if we believe that they run a club in a way that is neither fit, fair or done with propriety”Read statement
Lisa Nandy says owners are custodians and the regulator can act, but "We're not there yet"
“I want to be crystal clear that, whilst we are really grateful to investors who come from all over the world to invest in our clubs and help to ensure their viability and their success, they are custodians, both of their clubs and of the game ... They have a responsibility to play by the rules and uphold the rules. ... We’re not there yet. It's absolutely right that Manchester City get the right to defend themselves and they do strongly refute the allegations. But in the event that they do not believe that a club is in safe hands, we’ve fought tooth and nail to give the Independent Regulator the power.”Read statement
Gary Neville says it is hard to see how City's owners could pass the owners' and directors' test if the verdict stands
“It’s hard to see how the Man City owners can comply with the owners’ and directors’ test in this country if the verdict remains. The reality is, because of improper owners of clubs, there are a lot stricter rules in place. It’ll be difficult for the Man City owners to retain their status. Clubs are protected assets, community assets, because of the meaning of them to fans and people of a city, so owners have to comply with the rules and laws set out in the test. The only appropriate punishment is to apply the owners’ and directors’ test, firstly, and then to look at the achievements over the period and determine whether they should still stand.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Andy Burnham says he would be really concerned to lose Manchester City's owners". First published: 2026-11-15. Last updated: 2026-11-15. https://disputeindex.com/events/9034-asked-by-the-bbc-whether-he-was-concerned