Man City charges: Any political interference and I’ll quit, says regulator

Manchester City's appeal against a guilty verdict for breaching Premier League financial rules is ongoing, with the regulator's chair insisting on independence.

The full report

The English football regulator, led by chair David Kogan, has stated that there will be no political pressure in Manchester City's appeal over a guilty verdict for breaching Premier League financial rules. Kogan emphasized that the regulator's independence is paramount, and any form of political interference would result in his resignation. This comes after UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham expressed concern over the potential sale of Manchester City, owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE deputy prime minister and a member of Abu Dhabi's royal family. Burnham stated that he would be "really concerned" to lose City's current ownership, but clarified that he would not get "directly involved in the process".

The regulator's comments follow an independent panel's finding that Manchester City artificially inflated its revenue by more than $1bn over nearly a decade, circumventing fair-play rules. The panel's verdict represents the biggest scandal in Premier League history and raises questions over the future of the club. City is accused of providing misleading information about its finances over a nine-year period from 2009-2018, during which time it won three titles and signed some of the world's best players.

The Independent Football Regulatory was established by the UK government last year to set governance standards in English football. Part of that includes the issuing of licenses for clubs to be able to operate, which will begin from November. Kogan suggested that the guilty verdict would not impact the issuing of a license to City because its appeal is ongoing.

The regulator's chair, David Kogan, has the power to assess the suitability of club owners and executives. If an independent commission's findings that the club broke Premier League financial rules are upheld, the watchdog could even force a sale. Kogan emphasized that the regulator's independence is paramount, and any form of political interference would result in his resignation.