When exactly did Utd do that? Who were Utd's ultra rich owners that pumped unearned money into the club?

“I would be really concerned to lose them.” Prime Minister Andy Burnham on the possibility of Manchester City’s owners selling up. What?! These are owners found guilty of serial breaches of the Premier League rule-book by three judges on an independent commission after a lengthy investigation. Owners who outraged other clubs and countless fans by flouting the rules and inflating sponsorship income with the Disguised Funding Scheme. Owners who misled auditors and regulators, who threaten to bring this Premier League season – and, potentially, future seasons - to a standstill by their appeal, deny, delay tactics. Owners who are patently not proper custodians of a famous, historic club. Owners who many hope will sell up and ship out after bringing such shame and sham contracts to the game. So these are astonishing, alarming comments from the PM. “I do actually thank the City Football Group and the wider ownership for the money that they didn't just put into the Etihad and the campus around it but also into the city," Burnham told the BBC’s Chris Mason. Come on, PM. Read the room. Read the commission’s report. Read the belligerent statements from the Abu Dhabi owners and their chief executive like Ferran Soriano. Rather than thank CFG, perhaps thank the diligence of the Premier League in seeking to enforce its rules and protect the national sport. Perhaps thank the three judges for their pain-staking work in sifting through reams of evidence and coming to their considered conclusion. Burnham spoke as a politician seemingly with one eye on diplomatic and trade links. He spoke as a former mayor whose city benefited from investment in east Manchester by Abu Dhabi. “They've been such a huge partner in the building of modern Manchester and obviously the building of Manchester City into the global force that it is.” And how was that building financed? Burnham spoke as a politician and not the football fan that he truly is. The lifelong Evertonian is usually pretty sound on football matters. He misread the mood of many fans not wanting the possible return of drinking in Premier League stands but that was a rare misstep. This is far worse. This makes him look out of touch with the prevailing mood. He was speaking at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Maybe he should head to Anfield on Sunday week and witness the anger felt towards City. Burnham did add that he wasn’t getting involved in the process and that City had a right to appeal if they felt harshly treated. But how does the PM’s sympathetic words for controversial owners help the independent football regulator charged by Government with leading the fight against those who risk the credibility of their club, who play fast and loose with the rules and who damage the integrity of the national sport? How frustrating if Burnham’s words embolden City's owners and Soriano further. Bit of an own goal by No 10.

Etihad Airways spokesperson: “Etihad categorically rejects any finding, conclusion or implication that suggests the airline has ever been involved in improper commercial arrangements. The Premier League’s public communication of the Commission’s findings, following a period of selective leaks and reporting, has further created damaging implications for Etihad despite the airline not being named in the redacted published findings. “At no time did the Premier League reach out to or engage with Etihad in the process associated with the Commission’s opinion. Etihad was therefore never given opportunity by the Premier League to be represented, provide relevant information, or ensure the accuracy and fairness of information relied upon in reaching conclusions that may now be interpreted as reflecting adversely on the airline. “Etihad is deeply concerned by the way this matter has been communicated publicly. The lack of clarity and transparency, together with the selective disclosure of information, has created damaging implications for Etihad despite the airline not being named in the published decision. The Premier League must take responsibility for the consequences of the way in which these findings have been presented. “We stand with the Club, its supporters and our wider Etihad community as #ManCity challenges the Commission’s conclusions through the processes available to it. Etihad will seek the relevant legal counsel on the options and recourse available to protect its interests…” [via @MikeKeegan_DM]

Just a reminder Manchester City’s ownership initially arrived to English football to buy Newcastle United They only switched to Manchester City after a deal with Mike Ashley fell through ❌ Might be the biggest bullet ever dodged in football #NUFC piped.video/xBqL66PkFaA?is=571s…

BREAKING: Pep Guardiola has spoken out in a post on his Instagram page. 🚨

🚨 UK Secretary Of Sports, Lisa Nandy On Man City: 🎙"#ManCity have the right to an appeal and to a fair process. "I've asked the #PL this week to make sure this process is conducted swiftly" 👀 "Man City are not the first to break the law, so we need a moment of reflection."

“Financial Fair Play” was never really about making football fair. It was about protecting those already at the top. As Kieran Maguire points out, clubs that spend the most on wages and transfers tend to finish in the top three. So when City arrived with the financial backing to challenge that established hierarchy, suddenly the rules became a matter of existential importance. City didn’t create football’s financial inequality they challenged who was allowed to benefit from it. That’s why the real question isn’t simply whether City broke the rules. It’s whether the rules are genuinely about fairness, or about protecting the old order from being disrupted.