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The UK government and Abu Dhabi are in discussions with Manchester City and their alleged 115 rule violations. The Premier League filed charges against Man City in February about several suspected financial rule violations that occurred between the 2009–2010 and 2017–2018 seasons.
The Premier League held Man City accountable for failing to provide correct financial data, "in particular concerning its revenue (including sponsorship revenue), its related parties, and its operating costs." In a prior statement, the club referred to "a body of irrefutable evidence" that would acquit them of all charges. The club has denied the accusations.
The Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) in London has reportedly considered the accusations made against Manchester City by the Premier League, according to "The Athletic." To protect the UK's relationship with the United Arab Emirates, they are refusing to make the correspondence public. The newspaper questioned Manchester City on why the UK government is worried about their non-state ownership tarnishing relations with the UAE.
The treble winners, though, declined to comment. Additionally, it was reportedly asked if the Premier League had received any correspondence from UK officials regarding the accusations made against City.
In May, after Pep Guardiola took the club to a title victory, the Spanish head coach admitted he wanted the situation resolved. “I will stay next season while there are 110 breaches against us," he said. “We would love to have the decision tomorrow, this afternoon is better than tomorrow. We would love it. "We don’t have any doubts,” Guardiola added further.
Man City has always maintained that they are not funded or owned by the state. However, Sheikh Mansour, the club owner, is the UAE's vice president and deputy prime minister. President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan is his half-brother. However, to refer to the club as state-owned would be legally incorrect.
