According to Adam Crafton of The Athletic, Davidson, an academic who studies Abu Dhabi, believes that the Manchester City financial charges scandal could prompt the Abu Dhabi royal family to sell Manchester City to avoid further reputational damage.

Part 1: The Athletic on Manchester City Financial Charges: Abu Dhabi Capital Puts PM Burnham in a Dilemma

Part 2: The Athletic: Economic Ties Between UK and UAE Make Sanctions in Manchester City Case More Delicate

Part 3: The Athletic: Manchester City Investors Provided Significant Funds and Urban Development Opportunities to Manchester

UK Government Intervention in Newcastle Takeover Controversy Raises Concerns

Some fans are concerned that the UK government could exert political influence in the Manchester City case. This concern is not without historical precedent, as the UK government has previously intervened in sensitive matters involving the Premier League.

The Athletic previously obtained 59 pages of email records from the UK Foreign Office through an investigation.

These emails reveal extensive communications between various UK government departments and the Premier League in 2021, when Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) attempted to acquire Newcastle United.

Some of these documents reveal that the UK government believed that if the Saudi acquisition of Newcastle United failed, it would represent a "direct risk" to UK-Saudi relations.

Additionally, a senior adviser to then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson attempted to find a high-ranking official who could communicate with the Premier League to convey the government's interests.

The relevant documents even included details of a plan from the UK Department for International Trade to provide public relations support to all parties involved in the acquisition.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has long been criticized for serious human rights abuses.

However, Premier League CEO Richard Masters previously insisted that the government did not pressure the Premier League during the Newcastle United acquisition.

The Premier League also denied that the final approval of the Saudi consortium's acquisition of Newcastle United was related to government intervention.

This week, multiple sources familiar with UK government operations acknowledged that upcoming developments in the Manchester City case will surely cause concern in many government departments.

However, these sources also insisted that there should be enough people around the Prime Minister to remind him that large investment checks do not justify breaking Premier League rules.

After all, the Premier League itself is one of the UK's most important soft power export projects.

In fact, the UK government admitted in 2023 that the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in London had discussed the Premier League charges against Manchester City.

However, the British government refused to disclose the relevant communication records requested by The Athletic, claiming that revealing them could damage UK-UAE relations.

Etihad Airways Threatens to Sue Premier League; Will Manchester City Owners Step Down?

In recent days, Abu Dhabi has begun responding to the charges against Manchester City.

Etihad Airways has threatened to sue the Premier League.

Previously, an independent Premier League commission found that some of Manchester City's sponsorship agreements were sham transactions.

Although the resolution report did not directly name Etihad Airways, the airline is Manchester City's principal sponsor.

Mohammed Al Mazrouei, the long-time former president of Etihad Airways, was also on Manchester City's board of directors from 2010 to 2021.

It remains unclear how far Manchester City and its ownership group are willing to go to prove their innocence.

Will the club's sponsors actually file a lawsuit? Will years of UAE investment in the UK be re-examined? Could these investment relationships become leverage to pressure the UK government? If really pressured, will the UK government hold firm?

As the case progresses, the scrutiny and pressure on Burnham will only increase.

In June of this year, Khaldoon Al Mubarak explicitly stated in an annual interview published on Manchester City's official platform that the club had no plans to sell.

Al Mubarak said at the time: "We have no intention of selling Manchester City. Manchester City and this group are already at the top of the football world, and such a treasure is not for sale."

However, Davidson, an academic who studies Abu Dhabi, believes that recent developments could be a turning point that changes the situation.

Davidson stated: "Once they have time to digest all of this, my judgment is that they may choose to step aside."

"I believe this is primarily due to political and cultural considerations. The Abu Dhabi royal family may feel that this resolution has humiliated them and damaged their reputation."

"From their perspective, the best way out might be to sell the club now, cut their losses early, rather than let this problem fester and persist, forever tarnishing their experience of owning this club in England."

Davidson concluded: "I see no possibility of them continuing to operate."

Traducido por IA.

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