UK PM Andy Burnham met Man City chairman during time as Manchester mayor

What the report says

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham met Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak while serving as mayor of Greater Manchester, according to a statement from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority cited by Al Jazeera. The disclosure came on Monday after Burnham drew criticism for comments following Manchester City’s guilty verdict over serious Premier League financial breaches.

The authority said one meeting took place at the UK government’s Global Investment Summit in October 2021, when Burnham was mayor. It also said he attended a small number of Manchester City home matches in that role, including Vincent Kompany’s testimonial in September 2019, where he met Al Mubarak informally in the stands. The authority said such engagements had been declared in the usual way.

The clarification followed questions about Burnham’s relationship with City’s owners, who have backed major investment in Manchester through links with local authorities. City are owned by Abu Dhabi United Group, controlled by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a senior member of the UAE royal family.

The broader context is the ongoing dispute over City’s alleged rule breaches. The club has been found guilty of more than 100 Premier League financial regulations, while it is appealing and denies the verdict’s validity. The case could have major sporting and financial consequences if the appeal fails.