Andy Burnham’s past meetings with Manchester City owners disclosed amid financial breach scandal
The Greater Manchester Combined Authority released records of Burnham’s formal and informal contacts with the club’s Abu Dhabi owners during his mayoralty.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Details of former Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham’s contacts with Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak have been released by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, according to Al Jazeera and the Evening Standard.
What happened
Burnham, who served as mayor from 2017 until June 2026, met Al Mubarak at a UK Government‑organised Global Investment Summit in October 2021. He also attended a Manchester City home match as a guest and later chatted with the chairman in the stands at Vincent Kompany’s testimonial in September 2019. The combined authority said the meetings were declared in the usual way and that representatives of Greater Manchester sporting clubs routinely joined business delegations during Burnham’s mayoralty.
What the reports add
Al Jazeera notes that the disclosure comes after Burnham said he would be “really concerned” if the club’s owners were forced to sell following a Premier League verdict finding City guilty of serious financial breaches. The outlet adds that Downing Street later back‑tracked on Burnham’s earlier comment, insisting no one is “above the rules”. The Evening Standard provides a timeline of the contacts, specifying the 2021 investment summit and the 2019 testimonial as the two documented occasions, and mentions that Burnham told MPs all of his dealings would be published.
What was said
A Greater Manchester Combined Authority spokesman said: “In October 2021 Andy Burnham, in his role as mayor of Greater Manchester, had a formal meeting with Khaldoon Al Mubarak at the UK Government’s Global Investment Summit arranged by the Department for International Trade.” The spokesman also confirmed Burnham’s attendance at the 2019 testimonial match, describing it as an informal meeting in the stands. Burnham himself told MPs that “all of my dealings” with Manchester City’s owners would be published.
How it came about
Burnham’s pledge to release the details of his contacts was reported by Felo News on 11 October 2026 (burnham-publish-manchester-city-meetings). The promise followed pressure from opposition MPs, including Kemi Badenoch, to disclose any potential influence over the club after the Premier League’s financial‑rules verdict. Earlier, on 30 September 2026, Felo covered Burnham’s statement that he would be “really concerned” if Manchester City lost its Abu Dhabi owners (andy-burnham-concerned-man-city-owners). The new release therefore fulfills the earlier commitment to transparency.
Key facts
- Andy Burnham met Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak at the Global Investment Summit in October 2021. (standard.co.uk)
- Burnham attended Vincent Kompany’s testimonial match in September 2019 and spoke with Al Mubarak in the stands. (standard.co.uk)
- The Greater Manchester Combined Authority released the meeting details on 12 October 2026. (aljazeera.com)
- Burnham said he would be "really concerned" if City’s owners were forced to sell after the Premier League breach ruling. (aljazeera.com)
- Downing Street later clarified that no one is "above the rules" following Burnham’s comment. (aljazeera.com)
Timeline
- 2026-09-30 — Burnham warned he would be concerned if Manchester City lost its owners.
- 2026-10-11 — Burnham pledged to publish all meetings with Manchester City owners.
- 2026-10-12 — Greater Manchester Combined Authority released the details of Burnham’s meetings.
Sources
- [1] aljazeera.com
- [2] standard.co.uk
