Burnham’s City remarks reignite Premier League concerns over political interference

Andy Burnham’s comments about Manchester City’s possible punishment have renewed tensions between the Premier League and the government. The Greater Manchester mayor said he would be concerned if City’s owners were forced to sell, prompting questions from clubs about his relationship with the owners and the risk of political interference in an independent process.

The league published a redacted 40-page commission judgment on Tuesday, finding City had breached financial rules more than 100 times and describing alleged disguised funding as based on an explanation the club had concocted. City disputes the findings and is appealing; reports say it will argue sponsorship money came from the Abu Dhabi government, a claim the commission rejected. Burnham also revisited his criticism of the league’s handling of Everton, who were docked 10 points, later reduced to six, after admitting a rules breach.