The Prime Minister was friends with Khaldoun Mubarak / New revelation: City, the team of the British government!

Afshari's secret meetings of the British Prime Minister with the Emirati president of the Manchester City Club have launched a new wave of protests to the club's behind-the-scenes relations.

According to Sports Three, the publication of the details of the meetings of the British Prime Minister with the president of Manchester City during Andy Burnham's mayorship in the city of Manchester has intensified the criticism of political support for this club.

Officials of the Greater Manchester metropolitan area revealed on Monday that the current Prime Minister of Great Britain, Andy Burnham, met with the chairman of the Manchester City club, Khaldoun Al Mubarak, during an economic meeting in 2021 and during the days when he was the mayor of Manchester.

The disclosure of these meetings happened after widespread criticism of Burnham's positions. The controversy that started following the sentencing of Manchester City for serious violations of the financial rules of the English Premier League.

In the past days and after the release of City's sentence, Burnham had expressed his concern with controversial statements that this judgment might make the Emirati owners think of selling Manchester City. He emphasized that their investments played a central role in the renewal and development of the city of Manchester and turned this club into a superpower in the world of football.

After the uproar, Burnham's spokesman was forced to clarify, saying that if Manchester City's wrongdoing was conclusively proven, the club would face "appropriate consequences".

Despite these explanations, the opposition parties strongly criticized Burnham and considered his words as an obvious attempt to defend Manchester City. They demanded complete transparency about the nature of his relationships and contacts with the club's senior managers. Burnham served as Mayor of Greater Manchester from May 2017 to June 2026.

The official statement of the local authorities published today states that Burnham had an official meeting with Khaldoun Al Mubarak at the Global Investment Summit organized by the British Government in collaboration with the Department of International Trade in October 2021.

According to this report, the two sides had an informal meeting during a commemorative match in 2019. In addition, Manchester City club managers and staff had supported Burnham in several trips to China and Japan in the form of official business delegations to attract investment and develop international economic relations.