British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has become the target of blackmail. The United Arab Emirates are behind it. According to The Telegraph, they are pressuring Burnham not to punish Manchester City heavily.
Last Friday, the bombshell dropped in England. Manchester City were found guilty of breaching the Premier League Financial Rules 114 times.
Manchester City have appealed against the ruling. It could still take months before it becomes clear whether the club are actually guilty and what punishment awaits them.
Speculation has swirled in the meantime. On Thursday, British Prime Minister Burnham gave his view on the matter. He said it would be a disaster for England if the Arab owners sold the club because of their many investments in Manchester.
That sparked heavy criticism and forced him to backtrack a day later, saying: "No club is above the law." On Friday evening, The Telegraph published a shocking article.
As a response to America’s Silicon Valley, the British government are planning to build a huge tech hub between Oxford and Cambridge. They badly need investors for the project.
According to The Telegraph , Arab sheikhs who were set to invest heavily in the project told Burnham and other British politicians they would turn off the funding tap if Manchester City are deemed guilty.