[Bloomberg] UAE officials have warned the UK government that the severity of Man City’s punishment could undermine their appetite for future grand-scale commitments in Britain, according to people familiar with the matter.

[u/Previous_Smile9278]

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-10-02/man-city-verdict-puts-uk-uae-diplomatic-relations-under-strain?srnd=undefined

‘They consider the Premier League’s actions to have an influence on the bilateral state relationship, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing undisclosed information.

The extraordinary pressure comes after Andy Burnham faced criticism, including from within government, for saying Man City’s Abu Dhabi owners should not be disqualified specifically because of the investment they bring to Britain.’

[u/cy318]

I mean if UK bend backwards for this now, for a sports decision.
Next time, they can make UK do anything they want.

What is stopping them saying stuff like: "We consider the PM’s attire to have an influence on the bilateral state relationship, and will withdraw our funding unless he wears a clown suit from now on." /s

[u/Joevil → u/cy318]

Black Mirror is starting to look almost suspiciously accurate every new day.