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UAE reportedly warned the UK it could cancel investments after Manchester City were found guilty of 114 of 115 Premier League financial rule breaches between 2009 and 2018.
The United Arab Emirates has reportedly warned the UK government that it could cancel major investments after Manchester City were found guilty of breaching Premier League financial rules, according to Bloomberg. The warning follows an independent commission ruling in September that upheld 114 of 115 charges against the club for breaches committed between 2009 and 2018.
Emirati officials said the Premier League's actions would have an influence on the bilateral state relationship, Bloomberg reported. The Telegraph also said the UAE is threatening to withdraw a multi-billion pound investment into a Silicon Valley-style Oxbridge tech hub.
Premier League Charges and Verdict
The Premier League brought 115 charges against Manchester City for breaches of financial rules between 2009 and 2018. An independent commission upheld 114 of those charges in September.
The commission described City's activities as a sham multiple times and said witnesses used at the hearing were dishonest. The Premier League said the commission found City arranged sham commercial deals with a number of its sponsors during the period.
Those deals were part of a disguised funding scheme, whereby the companies were required to pay only a portion of the relevant sponsorship fees. The commission found the remainder was funded by Abu Dhabi United Group Investment and Development Ltd (ADUG), which owned the club.
Political Reactions and Meetings
The Telegraph reported that Manchester City chair Khaldoon Al Mubarak met Jonathan Reynolds, the business secretary, in Downing Street two weeks before the Premier League announced its decision.
On Thursday, Downing Street said the guilty verdict against City was serious. A Number 10 spokesperson issued the statement after the prime minister said he would be really concerned to see the current owners sell up.
Conservative shadow sport minister Louie French accused the prime minister of publicly backing the owners amid an investigation into the club's funding over recent years, describing his comments as frankly extraordinary.
Andy Burnham was also accused of making a frankly extraordinary intervention in support of the football club's owners. Asked by the BBC earlier this week if he was worried about the current owners selling the club, Burnham said he would be really concerned to lose them.
Asked if his dealings with the club would stand up to scrutiny, Burnham said he did thank the City Football Group and the wider ownership for the money they put into the Etihad and the campus around it, but also into the city.
Manchester City Appeal and Denials
Manchester City lodged an appeal along with a short statement, saying the commission's ruling contained clear material errors of law, principle and fact, and is unsafe.
Insisting on its innocence, the club reiterated it had filed a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of all of its positions on Thursday evening.
The case has drawn attention to the relationship between the UK and the UAE, with the reported investment threats adding a diplomatic dimension to the sporting dispute. The UK government has not commented on the specific investment warnings attributed to Emirati officials.
Manchester City Premier League UAE Financial Rules Khaldoon Al Mubarak Andy Burnham ADUG
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