Burnham should be ‘investigated’ over ‘extraordinary’ Manchester City comments | OneFootball

Andy Burnham is the latest individual in the firing line as the Manchester City furore continues unabated; it is ‘an appalling look’.

Send your thoughts to theeditor@football365.com.

Ignorance is bliss Had a few days away there. Don’t think I’ve missed anything major, have I? No? Nothing at all right?

Good good. Gary AVFC, Oxford (A nod to the chap in Porto airport who was perusing Football 365).

Hi mailboxers,

I’ve been away in a place with a limited phone signal and no notion of WiFi (I was in Wales). Just wondering if I’ve missed any important football related news over the last week?

I can’t seem to find anything interesting, so I guess not? Stu – Gooner in France

The fire sale So, as we look forward to this brave new world where a shamed club is expelled from major competition, the question turns to where players will go.

I watched a clip of Agbonlahor having a crack at it, and while I disagree with much of what he suggested, it does make you wonder.

Obviously players like Haaland won’t struggle for suiters – presumably Real or Barca to lead the chase, and probably for Donnaruma too – but there are others like Foden.

Would any major club in the UK be interested? Liverpool already have a creative player who doesn’t deliver, Arsenal have superior first XI and youth prospects. Chelsea maybe? Spurs would be hilarious. Enzo seems a natural fit for Atletico Madrid, especially since Real aren’t interested.

As a United supporter, I wouldn’t mind picking up a left and right back – O’Reilly or Ait Nouri and Rico Lewis would be very handy additions. Anderson? I think we’ve moved on, so maybe back to Newcastle or to Villa? I’d take Cherki but I don’t think he could recognise his hate is actually love.

So, question for the mailbox is who from that squad would you want? Badwolf

Memories I’m a Man City fan, therefore I’m sure I’ll get a lot of abuse, but I don’t really care, and I suspect most Man City fans are used to that as well.

However, I’m not writing into support what has happened, in fact, I’m appalled by the stance our owners/higher ups have taken. Seemingly now they want to create a siege mentality of us against the world. It’s not though, when the curtain draws on this, it’ll be the fans that are left hurt and disappointed. It’s you (owners/higher ups) against everyone, including the fans. If you truly cared then you would accept the verdict and accept what punishment comes our way. If you really cared about Manchester City, then rather than carrying on this charade, you’d work hard to fix the reputation of the club (if that’s even possible).

Fans of other clubs have been very quick to tell us that our memories of the achievements of the players and coaches no longer means anything. Maybe. Maybe not. I can only speak for myself, and even though I’ll never forget my elation when Aguero danced through the QPR back line and beat Paddy Kenny at his near post to clinch our first Premier League title, or my relief when Rodri smashed home the winner against a resolute Inter Milan to finally clinch the Champions League, I can’t pretend that watching those moments back fills me with happiness anymore. I used to watch those moments with such pride. They’d cheer me up during a bad day, because I could just, if only for a moment, remember how much joy I felt in those moments. Today I watched those moments again, and I just felt empty. Not angry or sad, just empty.

I, and most of our fans, don’t deserve for the club to be eviscerated by this. If all we as fans are guilty of is standing by our team, then any fan of any club would be guilty of the same crime was the shoe on the other foot. If you disagree with this point, you’re a liar. Football is tribal, even against common sense you back your club. Come what may, I will always be a Man City fan, the atrocious actions of billionaires won’t change that. Jack

Some perspective, please I read this morning, “Nothing short of destroying’ Manchester City ‘is acceptable for what they’ve done“.  Which left me thinking, “What who has done?”.

Not the fans; not the operational staff, many who have been there for years before the current owners; and not really the players.  So who should suffer?

Clearly the club has to be punished, but the real punishment should be applied to those who purported the crime.  And herein there is a ray of light.

Over the last few days I’ve spoken to a number of friends – a lawyer, a CFO of a FTSE Top 100 company, and a Tax Partner – all are of the view that the law has been broken (primarily fraud) and the executives of City should be charged.  The maximum penalty for fraud is 10 years, which seems about right.

Surely this is the most appropriate and fairest of all punishments. Rob

Just a quick response for cryarse Colin who must be a troll sticking up for the plucky underdogs fighting the PSR rules forced on the league

PSR came in after the cheating period started and city themselves voted in favour of the “protectionism racket”.

It’s possible to be against the principle of PSR restrictions while accepting city are determined, twice convicted cheats. They are two very different things. City’s owners are cheats and everything they have done is built on fraud and should be removed. Andy, formerly London now Cambridge (via everywhere) 

Liverpool can save football, Burnham and the Western world In a world where the true dependence on middle eastern money surfaces off the back of the Man City debacle, there are signs of new world order reality coming through.

It’s called bullying.

Etihad Airways immediately threaten the Premier league, it turns out that Manchester as a city wouldn’t survive and the UK defence investment initiatives, pulled away, might would see us flying Spitfires again.

It’s way more than football.

Thank God, when it comes to football, the self anointed defenders of the faith, Liverpool, are up against City next. Liverpool can save us, by bringing it back to football.

Picture this, Liverpool kick off, give the ball to Haaland… and let him walk it into the net. Liverpool kick off again, give it to Haaland… you get the picture.

Then, every other team does the same, this will crystalise things pretty quickly. Fines etc mean nothing, football refusing to play against City… that’s the sure fire answer. No-one to sue, no government involvement, just football reclaiming itself. It’s the only way out of a world crisis.

Thank God for Liverpool because, as we all know… ‘This means more…’ Never more than now… let’s see. Steve, Melbourne

Burning Burnham This is not a political email in anyway but the UK prime minister defending the city owners is a disgrace.

So it’s ok to cheat and commit fraud once you put some of your money into investing in the country that you are cheating and committing fraud in – it’s like saying yeah the Nazis did terrible things but at least they build nice motorways and infrastructure.

There should be a huge backlash to his comments and an investigation to see if his palms were greased when he was mayor of Manchester.

Also now there would be a huge surprise if 15 clubs back a plan to relegate city because of commercial revenue seriously?? So it really is all about money not football not the fans not the fans what were cheated out of celebrations and happiness.

For some people football is there life. They talk about “they can’t take away the memories of the city fans” what about the rival teams fans. I can still remember were I was when that aguero goal went in, I was in my kitchen with my head in my hands with tears in my eyes and why because they cheated.

I’ve been watching the premier League all my life or as much as I can remember as its creation coincided with my coming of age and if city get off lightly slap on the hand or fine or 10 point deduction I’m done with the premier League, it will be the final nail in the coffin for me. Kenneth Dublin 

I am completely baffled by some of the commentary surrounding the City case. The defence being mounted for their actions is unbelievable. Granted, the appeal is still pending, so the final outcome isn’t set in stone. But judging by the initial ruling and the evidence on display, they are guilty of nearly every charge. Let’s not split hairs, this is corporate fraud. They manufactured an unfair financial advantage, lied about it, broke league rules and domestic laws, and have rightly been called out by an independent panel. Any defence mounted by supporters is nothing more than blind faith, hoping against hope that they can somehow pull a rabbit out of a hat. What we are witnessing is pure desperation in plain sight: former managers, players, and pundits frantically clinging to the world that existed before their cheating was made official.

Beyond that lies the issue that worries me most, Prime Minister Burnham’s comments. This case goes far beyond routine corporate malfeasance, state ownership directly ties it to diplomatic relations between nations. Setting aside that this is precisely why nation states shouldn’t own sporting institutions to begin with, Burnham seems to have forgotten he is the Prime Minister of the country, not the Mayor of Greater Manchester. If the guilty verdict stands, having a Prime Minister express sorrow because a fraudulent organisation got caught is an appalling look.

Second, the narrative of their ‘vital contribution’ to Manchester needs scrutinising. The stadium and initial regeneration were funded by the taxpayer. A private entity then developed the area to turn a profit on flats, hardly an act of pure charity. The capital funnelled into these projects effectively drained resources from elsewhere due to the financial imbalances their rule breaking created.

I understand Burnham has personal ties as both a football fan and the city’s former mayor, but he must recognise that this verdict transcends sport. It is an existential test, does the rule of law still mean something in this country, or do we simply concede that the ultra wealthy and well connected can act with complete impunity? This dynamic will only worsen in the coming decades as cash strapped, debt ridden states bend over backwards for hyper wealthy elites, multinational corporations, and autocratic regimes that exert growing control over civic life. It might sound dramatic, but giving Manchester City a pass is no different from letting Big Tech monopolies ignore the law simply because they have the capital to brush off the consequences, we all know how that is ending up, a lost generation of youth for whom social media has had profound negative effects.

The punishment must be severe, proportionate, and definitive. Otherwise, it is just another nail in the coffin of the idea that our society is governed by laws rather than wealth.

As for our Prime Minister, perhaps say less. Adam

Hello my pedigree chums,

Andy Burnham’s response to the Manchester City verdict is quite extraordinary….. City have just been found guilty by an independent commission of systematically breaking Premier League financial rules for nearly a decade, involving sham contracts, misstated accounts and more than £900m in artificially inflated revenues and reduced costs. The commission also found “concerted efforts” to frustrate the investigation.

Yet almost immediately Burnham is worrying about Abu Dhabi walking away.

Burnham says he would be “really concerned” to lose City’s owners because of everything they have done for Manchester. Nobody disputes the investment, but what on earth has that got to do with the punishment for breaking football’s rules?

Especially given the history here. When James Cleverly was Foreign Secretary, he requested an update on the City case. The British Embassy in the UAE also sought updates, while parts of the correspondence were withheld because releasing them could damage UK-UAE relations. That doesn’t prove interference, but it certainly makes transparency important.

Sheikh Mansour isn’t simply another billionaire owner; he is Vice-President and Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE. Khaldoon Al Mubarak chairs City and Mubadala and has held diplomatic status in Britain. Lord Pannick represents City while also sitting in the House of Lords and has participated in debates concerning football regulation, having declared his interest.

Individually, none of that proves anything improper. Collectively, however, football supporters are perfectly entitled to ask questions when British politicians start publicly worrying about upsetting City’s ownership immediately after such serious findings.

There’s a personal irony too. I started writing about City, Abu Dhabi and the UK government on X in late 2024. Within weeks my account was blocked. Do I have evidence the two were connected? No, and I’m not claiming they were. But nearly two years later we’re discussing Foreign Office interest, withheld correspondence, diplomatic sensitivities and politicians worrying about Abu Dhabi walking away. Perhaps those questions weren’t quite as ridiculous as they once sounded.

So here’s one simple question for the government: has anybody representing the UAE, Abu Dhabi, Manchester City or City Football Group discussed this case, possible sanctions or their consequences with British ministers or officials?

If not, say so and publish the relevant correspondence.

Because every other club competed under these rules. Owners invested, managers lost jobs, Champions League places and titles were decided, and supporters spent fortunes believing everyone was playing the same game.

City can appeal. Of course they can. But Britain’s economic relationship with the UAE should have precisely zero relevance to what happens next.

Thank Abu Dhabi for the investment. Thank them for the regeneration. Then draw a bloody great line underneath it.

Let football deal with football.Same league, same rules, same consequences. A.N ONY MOUSE

The Sham City players Will Ford’s article has forecasted a grim reality – Sham City are going to get away with this one too.

Yes it is probably the biggest sporting scandal and surely the biggest one in football. Three players are driving this debate but it is going to be the third player that settles this scandal i.e will allow City to escape with a slap on the wrist.

Player one: The Wronged Ones. From Title challengers to the ones who missed out on Champions League places, everyone has a case to see Sham City hung on spikes.

Especially as a Liverpool fan, one point was the difference in 2 seasons, the optics is insane given Liverpool did it legit while Sham City even with their cheating in magnanimous millions, were chased down till their last breath.

No wonder Pep and the Man City players had nightmares of Klopp’s Liverpool. Imagine being the privileged kid who got all the advantages in a race and just managed to stumble to the first position. It drove Jurgen Klopp to a burnout, no honest professional deserves this.

Player two: The Delusional ShamCity fans who are still vocal and cocky. I don’t get this lot, either they genuinely don’t have a conscience and are ruining the lives of those around them with the same narcissistic entitled behaviour that gets them to defend the cheaters or they’re being paid to by instruments to keep the morale high

Player three (the ones who will decide this scandal): The UK Government. If your Prime Minister sounds like a nervous class monitor while talking about the bully who has finally been reported; understand this – The City Football Group is owed tremendous debts by the UK Government.

The confidence of the ShamCity stakeholders does not come from their innocence but from the conviction that the UK can’t afford to lose billions of investment into the country given the years of turmoil.

So while yes, we are all pawns in believing that the Premier League, the rival clubs, the pundits, and the fans pressure will deliver justice – it won’t. A country’s need will always trump ethics in any field let alone a sport of millionaires kicking a ball for clubs owned by billionaires. It’s all just an illusion. M.Nair Mumbai. LFC. (The only power the fans have is to remind every team of Sham City that enters a football ground to play that they are all products of dishonesty and ill-ethics and will always be laughed at or looked upon in disgust. There’s no sportsmanship when Sham City play till their end of time)

Hey, you guys! In the past decade or so I would argue that football has jumped the shark. We’ve had (in no particular order):

Chelsea bought by an oligarch who was forced to sell due to his links to one of the worst dictators of our time, following Russias invasion of Ukraine. Chelsea then bought by an investment consortium who turn the club into a marketplace for young players.

Manchester United were bought by Malcom Glazer in a leveraged takeover, all thanks to a horse. The club was also subject to takeover attempts by Sky and a little known Qatari sheik whose existence is still not completely proven. Now part owned by the spawn of Glazer and part by a tax dodging brexiteer who wants the government to build the stadium for him despite telling everyone the country is finished and has been colonised by immigrants (which is true, it just happened thousands of years ago). Still £1B in debt with no meaningful investment in infrastructure until the arrival of INEOS.

West Ham bought by a “porn tsar” (or two) and given a free stadium at tax payer expense. One of the owners reportedly accused of historic sexual abuse.

Liverpool bought in another leveraged takeover by American businessmen who nearly run the club into the ground before selling to FSG. Now part owned by future real-life Bond villain, Jeff Bezos.

Manchester City bought by Abu Dhabi, sorry a “private investment company” from Abu Dhabi. They invest heavily in the club and the surrounding community, get the best manager, the best players and win everything. Then charged with, and found guilty of unprecedented rule breaches worth £900M+. The English Prime Minister is “concerned” (which in my opinion would call the independence of the independent regulator into question should they get involved). Etihad Airways (also owned by Abu Dhabi and run by the brother of the guy that runs City) threaten legal action against the Premier League, seemingly confirming that their name was redacted from the report. Other Premier League clubs signal intention to sue the pants off City and want them expelled from the league. City continue to fight, seemingly set on mutually assured destruction. At the same time, Abu Dhabi are cosying up to Sudanese war criminals.

Saudi Arabia, through their Public Investment Fund, buy Newcastle. Their takeover is initially blocked due to other Saudi owned companies pirating PL games (and one assumes to avoid the issues City have caused) but is unblocked, reportedly due to political pressure from the Prime Minister at the time. They also seemingly proved that one of the guys who ran it was not involved even though he admitted he was in another court case. Newcastle win their first trophy since yer dad was knee high to grasshopper but struggle due to PSR and Eddie Howe’s natural  managerial ceiling.

On the subject of Saudi Arabia, they’ve heavily invested in their own league, snapping up top players from across the world for top dollar including legend in his own lunch time, Cristiano Ronaldo. This has further inflated costs for other leagues but as yet hasn’t overtaken European football. Wait until they buy the Champions League.

PSG bought by Qatar in 2011. Have since one everything having bought all the players and the worlds next best manager, except the joke of a World Club Cup held in the US to half empty stadiums. Qatar heavily invested in France and this has come in handy since.

Others owned at various stages by people who are less than savoury, with various links to war criminals, organised criminals and probably just regular criminals.

Sepp Blatter – corrupt leader of FIFA – is replaced by someone who is at best, a greedy bastard who looks a cross between a villain from a Gerry Anderson show and Sloth from the Goonies. He tries to sell the rights to the World Cup and either bribe or blackmail member associations to accept them. They reject, he doesn’t resign, it’s chaos. The World Cup has been held in Russia, Qatar and the US with Mexico and Canada. Infantino cosies up to all the nefarious actors you could imagine. The American President intervenes to get one of his players off a suspension, which backfires as it sticks dynamite up the Belgian’s asses. The World Cup is expanded to 48 teams but Infantino wants more. The next World Cup is to be played across three continents. Eventually everyone will just play home and away with the final played on the mooned and attended by billionaires. Oh and don’t forget the fucking drinks breaks.

There is more (Calciopoli, Barcelona’s levers and having refs on the payroll, the European Super League saga) but I’m tired now.

Point being that this is ridiculous. When do we get our game back and how? Ashmundo 

A year-long ban Hi,

I cannot help but wonder that if MCFC are relegated to the Championship (or lower…) how this would adversely affect the other teams in those lower leagues & indeed the relevant competitiveness of those leagues.

I would be pressuming that if this expensively assembled Manchester City squad were to be transported to the lower leagues as it is, with no changes, then it might be a bit like Ronnie O’Sulivan playing World Masters Snooker for real trophies/prize money against club amateurs week after week…..

They would literally (you would think…) guarantee one of the automatic promotion chances from one of the other teams & the genuinely competitive nature of the Championship for example would be massively skewed due to MCFC pretty much winning 3 points every game

Therefore, it would be probably be better (fairer?) for everybody else to just ban them from all Football for 1 season & then pop them back into the Premiership where they will end up anyway & save the others all the hassle…

Kindest Regards, Neil Cameron

FFP alternatives So I think that we can all agree that the FFP rules are designed to favour the big boys. Like much in the footballing world these days they’re not fit for purpose. What then do we think should be the alternative? The options I can think of are:

– An equal budget for each team – An NFL style draft system – No FFP rules at all

Looking at it this way you can see why the footballing cartels have plumped for FFP. The branding of it as “fair play” is frankly laughable. It’s the equivalent of an Oil Company coming up with a rulebook for saving the environment.

All other options threaten the status quo. Equal budget obliterates their significant financial advantage, an NFL draft system whoops likely be unworkable but again would give those pesky minnows a genuine chance and getting rid of the FFP rules altogether would mean that any billionaire could catapult their team into the title race as we’ve seen.

We’ve seen the lengths that they’ll go to fix it in their favour. Just look at the new champions league format, it massively dilutes down the potential for a giant killing. Even Infantino has taken a leaf out of their books by creating spurious links for the next World Cup to hand out automatic qualifications.

I think we just all need to accept that the bigger boys have the ball and they’ll take it home if we don’t play by their rules. The tragedy is that the game is all the worse for it as it’s more akin to watching WWE than it is to actual sport these days. Anthony, Kilburn

International brake I, like many others, wasn’t looking forward to the international break.

Then the Man City new broke and I thought, yes, something to break up the monotony of international football.

But now, every mailbox is full of essay-writing, predictive nobbers. Ooh, it’s only fair if Man City get these exact 50 punishments. Oh my days, it’s dull.

City have cheated, been caught. One of their biggest crimes was being successful. They haven’t outspent the other big clubs, but they’ve just done it better.