Man City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak holds diplomatic immunity amid Premier League verdict fallout

Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak holds diplomatic immunity in the United Kingdom, a status that could complicate any legal action stemming from the Premier League’s landmark ruling against the club. Mubarak, a senior UAE government official, was added to the UK’s list of approved diplomats in 2020, granting him protection from criminal proceedings and most civil action in British courts, according to a report in the Financial Times.

An independent commission recently found City guilty of almost all of the Premier League’s charges, the majority relating to serious breaches of the league’s financial regulations between 2009 and 2018. The commission concluded that City created “sham” commercial contracts as part of schemes to inflate revenue and conceal costs by more than £900m across that nine-year period.

Names were redacted from the commission’s initial 40-page core judgment, and Mubarak has not been directly accused of wrongdoing. Nevertheless, his diplomatic status raises significant questions about the reach of any future proceedings involving club officials active during the period in question.

The club’s officials could face scrutiny from the Independent Football Regulator, which holds statutory powers to disqualify owners, directors and executives deemed unsuitable on grounds of honesty and integrity. The Serious Fraud Office could also examine the case if evidence emerges that City deliberately falsified accounts in breach of UK law — an allegation the club firmly denies.

City have strongly rejected the verdict and reasserted their innocence. The club is in the process of submitting an appeal and could take the case to the High Court if the ruling is upheld.

Following the publication of the core decision, City released a statement saying: “Manchester City FC is both disappointed and surprised by the opinion of the Premier League Commission. The Club is innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League and a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of all of its positions.”

Last weekend, after media reports of the verdict first emerged, Mubarak wrote to supporters reiterating the club’s position: “The Premier League process still has a long way to run, and our confidence and intent in proving the Club’s innocence is just as strong as when this began. There remain many who want to undermine the momentum of our Club. We will not give them that opportunity.”