Man City staff joined UK Government India trip weeks after 114-charge guilty verdict

A Manchester City representative was part of an official UK Government trade delegation to India last week, weeks after an independent panel found the club guilty of 114 of the 115 Premier League financial rule-breach charges brought against them.

The trip saw Manchester mayor Bev Craig travel to Delhi and Mumbai alongside a City representative to promote British trade and tourism. Craig defended the decision, telling The Guardian: “If a football club has broken the rules, a football club should be punished for breaking the rules, and that is pretty clear in an independent process. I think what can also be true at the same time though, if you ask residents in east Manchester, have they benefited from a new library, a new leisure centre, a new sixth-form college, infrastructure investment, the job opportunities that come from them being a good employment charter signee and an early adopter of the real living wage — then they will have felt that benefit.”

Last month’s independent panel ruling found that City had used ‘sham’ sponsorship deals to inflate their revenue by around £900 million. The club strongly deny the allegations and have lodged an appeal, which will be heard by a new independent panel.

The controversy deepened this week when the Manchester mayor’s authority published details of contacts between Prime Minister Andy Burnham — who served as Greater Manchester mayor before entering Downing Street — and City’s ownership. The records showed a formal meeting with chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak, a conversation during a testimonial match, and Burnham joining club representatives on official overseas visits.

During Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Burnham confirmed that the Premier League charges had not been raised during any of those meetings. He drew criticism after saying he would be “really concerned” if City’s owners were forced to sell the club as a consequence of the verdict. Downing Street later clarified the remarks, stating that if the verdict is upheld, those responsible should face consequences.

Should the appeal fail and the guilty verdict stand, City could face a range of sanctions determined by the original panel, including points deductions, fines, transfer bans, or expulsion from the Premier League.