# Man City Not Above Rules, Says Downing Street

> Downing Street clarifies Manchester City aren't above rules after Burnham's comments.
- Title: Man City Not Above Rules, Says Downing Street · BBC News
- Summary: Downing Street clarifies Manchester City aren't above rules after Burnham's comments. Downing Street states Manchester City are not above Premier League…
- Keywords: man city, premier league, andrew burnham, downing street, financial rules, abu dhabi government, independent football regulator, sports, Man, City, Above, Rules
- Source: BBC News — https://bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj3v4vn3ydw1o
- Published: 2026-10-01T15:27:06.306+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: man city, premier league, andrew burnham, downing street, financial rules, abu dhabi government, independent football regulator, sports
## Downing Street response
Downing Street said Manchester City are not 'above the rules' after Andy Burnham's comments about the club's breaches of Premier League financial rules.

> Downing Street said the PM had made clear 'the initial judgement is serious and there can't be any suggestion that anyone is above the rules'
## Burnham's stance
Andy Burnham said he would be 'really concerned' if Manchester City's owners sold the club after being found guilty of most of the 115 Premier League financial charges.

> I would be really concerned to lose them. They've been such a huge partner in the building of modern Manchester
## Tory criticism
Tories accused Burnham of 'publicly backing the owners' even as the investigation continues and questioned whether political pressure was being applied.

> Burnham is publicly backing the owners even as the investigation continues. Fans will rightly ask whether political pressure is being applied here
## Abu Dhabi funding claim
Manchester City plan to argue key sponsorship deals were funded by the Abu Dhabi government, not the club's owners, as part of their appeal.

> City were expected to claim that key sponsorship deals were funded by the Abu Dhabi government
## Premier League findings
The Premier League says Manchester City 'systematically broke Premier League Rules for nearly a decade' through 'sham contracts' worth over £830m.

> City arranged 'sham contracts' with a number of commercial partners as part of a scheme to disguise secret funding of more than £830m
## Independent regulator
The Independent Football Regulator will assess Manchester City's owners for suitability and use powers to ensure the case remains independent of political influence.

> The IFR has powers to assess the suitability of owners, directors and executives and we will use these powers where appropriate
## Next steps
Manchester City have until Friday to submit an appeal while the independent panel holds a sanctions hearing to decide potential punishments like fines or points deductions.

> The independent panel that found City guilty of rule breaches will hold a sanctions hearing, which could take months to convene, to decide the punishment
## Key takeaway

Downing Street states Manchester City are not above Premier League financial rules despite Andy Burnham's remarks.