UAE Issue Warning To UK Over Man City’s 115 Premier League Charges

· GiveMeSport

UK issued warning by UAE over consequences if Man City found guilty of 115 charges

The UK had previously been warned about the consequences it could face if Manchester City are found guilty of the 115 Premier League charges they have now been found guilty of, just a month before the verdict became public knowledge.

Rival frustration had continued to grow in recent weeks and, with three-and-a-half years having passed since it was announced that City were first being scrutinised, anticipation has peaked as those felt wronged now have food for thought over what punishment Manchester's blue side will be handed.

In the time that the club has been found guilty of adhering to laws for, City have spent £690 million on new players and won six major trophies, including two league titles. But now, it isn't just them that could be penalised, with the UK warned of potential complications by the UAE.

According to a report from Bloomberg, citing two people close to the matter in August, "United Arab Emirates officials caution that a negative outcome could damage improved relations with the UK".

City are owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who purchased the club on transfer deadline day in August 2008 and invested a huge wealth into the club.

The 55-year-old is the vice president of the UAE, with his brother Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan serving as president. He recently shared a phone call with UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who served as mayor of Manchester for nine years.

A guilty verdict, according to the report, threatens to derail Burnham's government's hopes to broaden the UK's investment appeal to wealthy allies like the UAE.

> “The inconvenient truth of this protracted matter is the power asymmetry between the UK and the United Arab Emirates,” sport professor Simon Chadwick tells City AM following Friday morning's bombshell news. “The Gulf state is the UK’s biggest trading partner in the Middle East, a relationship that helps to sustain tens of thousands of British businesses.

> “Moreover, UAE investment in the UK may amount to as much as £30bn, whilst the respective governments are engaged in dialogue to reduce tariffs and ease cross-border business mobility. Post-Brexit, the latter is especially important.”

> “Amid growing geopolitical tensions in the Gulf, it is also worth noting that the UAE has been the third-largest recipient of UK arms export licenses globally since 2024. British military deals there have been worth almost £1bn in recent years.

> “Fans and the media may see rule infringements as being simply a matter of football, but the City case is a deeply complex and sensitive one that extends way beyond kicking a ball.”

Trading routes are one of the things affected by Friday's news. But it could, realistically, also affect foreign ownership laws in the Premier League, subsequently impacting Newcastle should a remodelling take place.

Read the original

Related