Burnham served as Manchester’s mayor from 2017 until earlier this year, overseeing the city during an extended spell of success for Manchester City.
During his time in office, he supported investment from the Gulf as a means of expanding Manchester’s economy. City leaders had already adopted this approach before Burnham became the first elected mayor of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.
Reflecting on his previous remarks about Manchester City’s owners, Burnham said he did not believe he had expressed himself incorrectly.
He explained that he had not been considering every aspect of the matter at the time because his attention was focused on the Labour Party conference and related interviews.
Burnham added that he had not connected the two subjects himself, saying the questions had brought them together even though he regarded them as separate matters.
In his view, the football-related concerns should be distinguished from questions about investment, rather than being treated as part of the same issue.
He acknowledged that the independent commission’s conclusions concerning football matters were serious, as he had stated in the earlier interview.
The proceedings concerning the allegations against Manchester City have been conducted independently of the Premier League.
An independent commission conducted a 42-day hearing in 2024 before delivering its decision last month. Manchester City was found responsible for every charge except one concerning a failure to cooperate with the Premier League’s investigation.
According to the commission’s report, several significant witnesses representing the club provided inaccurate testimony on crucial points, while some were found to have knowingly made false and dishonest statements.
Manchester City’s appeal will be considered by a separate independent panel, while the club continues to reject all allegations of misconduct.
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