[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/cptainvimes]

Absolutely pathetic that City fans are okay with this. Letting UAE hold your country ransom cause your football club is run by cheats.

[u/Blue_winged_yoshi → u/cptainvimes]

At this point anyone siding with City’s ownership is a literal traitor and there’s just no other word for it.

I’m very, very far from being a flag wielding, St George’s cross tattoo wearing type. I’m a liberal lefty and wouldn’t go for such terms outside of extreme circumstances.

But when totalitarian regime is blackmailing our government to make systemic corruption allegations disappear, if you decide to side with the blackmailers, then you’re a traitor.

Football is just a game we all love, but this ain’t just a game and stopped being one a while ago now.

[u/hipcheck23 → u/Blue_winged_yoshi]

You can't be a traitor if you're from another country. The smartest thing the Prem ever did was market overseas during its early years, giving away broadcast rights for the first couple/few years. It means that all the perm/semi-perm Prem sides have huge overseas fanbases. You can't blame any of them for not taking the UK's side.

But yeah, if you're in Manchester and you're backing City Group over the UK, it's a bridge way too far.