Man City punishment verdict 'expected early next year' - as Andy Burnham faces questions over 'freebies from Abu Dhabi deleted from public record'

Manchester City's punishment verdict is expected early next year, according to the head of the Independent Football Regulator (IFR). 

City are appealing after they were found guilty of all their alleged serious breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules between 2009 and 2018 by an independent commission. 

They were found to have made 'sham' agreements to manipulate their financial accounts to the tune of £900million over a nine-season period which saw them win eight trophies in the biggest cheating scandal in British sporting history. 

The IFR could force owner Sheikh Mansour to sell the club, or bar any personnel from being owners or directors, once the appeal process is complete. 

IFR chief David Kogan told Times Radio: 'The Premier League have said that they want to get this resolved within the season and actually, of course, it’s not the Premier League, it’s an independent commission that’s going to hear this, made of three retired either judges or lawyers.

'My understanding is there is a prescribed process, which is 12 weeks, and so people are assuming this will actually be heard by the middle or the end of January. But as I say, it’s not our process, it’s that of the Premier League’s independent commission. What I don’t think we can do is take any judgment until we’re quite clear.

'Obviously, City claim that they have some form of silver bullet to put off these charges and win the appeal, and we’re not there to judge whether that’s right or wrong yet, but I think we’ll know in the early part of next year.'

Kogan threatened to resign from his role if there is any political interference in the IFR dealing with the saga.

The IFR was created in September 2025 and was given the task of protecting and promoting the sustainability of English football.

But Andy Burnham has had to defend himself after being accused of 'covering up' links to Manchester City following a register of interests being 'deleted'.

Kogan added: 'The prime minister is capable of saying whatever he wants to say. You asked me whether we have had any interference politically in any of the judgments we’re making, and I’m telling you, categorically, we have not.

'We will take a judgment based on evidence, once the appeal has been heard by the independent commission of the Premier League, we’re going to look at that evidence closely, we’re going to actually have powers of investigation ourselves, and that will be what governs what we do.'

City could face expulsion from the Premier League, a fine, a points deduction, and even having their trophies stripped.  

But Prime Minister Burnham came out in support of the crisis-stricken club's Abu Dhabi owners... before backtracking and vowing to release all material from his dealings with them. 

Mr Burnham previously claimed to have had just one formal meeting with City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak. 

But he now stands accused of misleading the public after a deleted register of interest showed he joined Al Mubarak twice in a luxury box at City's Etihad Stadium, while he also accepted tickets to an Ed Sheeran concert, according to the BBC . 

Mr Burnham accepted City-funded freebies worth nearly £1,200 which appeared on a register of interests that he signed in December 2020 during his time as Manchester mayor and was later taken down from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA)’s website, they report.

On April 18, 2020, the register shows a value of £699 given to 'dinner with the Chairman at Man City/ Man United derby at the Etihad.' 

And later that year on August 17, the entry reads: 'Dinner with Richard Leese and Chair of Man City for the Everton match at the Etihad.' The match ticket value is given as £38, while the hospitality is listed at £300. 

At PMQs on Wednesday afternoon, Mr Burnham was asked: 'Did anyone associated with the running of Manchester City raise the charges they were facing and have now been found guilty of, either with him or any member of his team?'

The Prime Minister replied: 'They did not raise those issues with me. I'm very happy for everything to be set out in full, it is why I asked the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, in response to a call from the leader of the opposition and others to set out a full statement of my key dealings with the owners of Manchester City Football Club. 

'That statement was published on Monday and it includes the issues in the news today and that is the position.'

GMCA has not yet responded to Daily Mail Sport's request for comment. According to the BBC, it is the GMCA's policy to only publish entries from the current mayoral term.

On reacting to the deleted register of interests re-published on X, Reform UK's Robert Jenrick wrote: 'This saga stinks. Burnham appears to have concealed his extensive links to Man City’s owners. Fans deserve better.'

The details of Mr Burnham's contacts with City during his time as mayor were released by GMCA on Monday.

They revealed the Prime Minister had a formal meeting with Al Mubarak at an investment summit in October 2021 while he was Greater Manchester mayor. He also chatted to Al Mubarak in the stands during a testimonial game in 2019 and was accompanied by City staff on official overseas visits to China and Japan.

But the deleted register of interests shows he was in a hospitality suite at the Etihad with Al Mubarak for a game against Everton and also the Manchester derby. 

Burnham had previously said on The Rest is Politics podcast: ‘I will quite clearly put out there everything that I have done working with them in my previous role as Mayor of Greater Manchester.

‘None of it is recent, in terms of meetings I had. I only had one significant meeting and that was in 2021. That is right and I will put that all out there.'

The new revelation will only intensify scrutiny over the Prime Minister's relationship with City's Abu Dhabi owners, who maintain their innocence and are appealing the independent commission's verdict.