Manchester City joins UK trade delegation to India despite Premier League breach findings

A Manchester City representative was taken to Delhi and Mumbai as part of a government-backed trade delegation organized by Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds. The club’s inclusion came “this week” despite the Premier League’s independent process finding the club guilty of 114 breaches of its rules. The delegation also featured other northern sports bodies such as Lancashire Cricket Club and Visit Lake District, aiming to promote British tourism and trade in India.

The Guardian

The controversy follows former Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham’s close ties to the club’s owners, Khaldoon al-Mubarak, during his mayoralty. Burnham faced scrutiny after records showed he attended multiple dinners with al-Mubarak, some of which were later deleted from council paperwork. The Prime Minister was also forced to clarify his own two additional dinners with the club chair, previously described only as match-day hospitality.

The Guardian

Downing Street later stated that where wrongdoing is established, those responsible should face consequences.

The Guardian

• “I think what can also be true at the same time though, if you ask residents in east Manchester, have they benefited from a new library, a new leisure centre, a new sixth-form college, infrastructure investment, the job opportunities that come from them being a good employment charter signee and an early adopter of the real living wage – then they will have felt that benefit.” — Manchester City — Manchester City

The Guardian