UAE reportedly warns UK investments could be affected by City verdict
Emirati officials have reportedly warned that the Premier League’s finding against Manchester City could affect the bilateral relationship between the UAE and UK. Reports say planned British investments may be at risk, while City rejects the commission’s ruling and says it contains serious errors.
The United Arab Emirates has reportedly warned that the Premier League’s finding against Manchester City could influence its relationship with the United Kingdom and potentially affect major investments. Bloomberg reported that Emirati officials said the Premier League’s actions would have an impact on bilateral state relations. The Telegraph separately reported that the UAE was threatening to withdraw a multibillion-pound investment in an Oxbridge technology hub.
The Premier League brought 115 charges against Manchester City over alleged financial-rule breaches between 2009 and 2018. An independent commission upheld 114 of the charges in September and described some of the club’s commercial arrangements as “sham”. It also said witnesses called by City had been dishonest.
The commission found that the club arranged commercial deals with sponsors in a way that disguised the funding involved. According to the Premier League, the sponsors paid only part of the relevant fees, while the remainder was funded by Abu Dhabi United Group Investment + Development Ltd, which owned the club. Manchester City has appealed.
In a statement, the club said the commission’s ruling contained material errors of law, principle and fact and was unsafe. It maintained that it had submitted a comprehensive body of evidence supporting its position. The reports have also drawn attention to meetings involving the club’s leadership and the UK government.
The Telegraph said City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak met Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds in Downing Street two weeks before the Premier League announced its decision. Downing Street described the verdict as serious. The issue also prompted criticism of comments by Andy Burnham, who said he would be concerned if the current owners sold the club and thanked the City Football Group for investments in Manchester.
A Conservative shadow sport minister accused the prime minister of publicly backing the owners. The supplied material did not report any decision by the UK government or UAE to cancel an investment, and the consequences of the reported warning remain uncertain.
This independently written report is based on information supplied by the named publisher. Vertrix News has not independently verified the source report.