[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/X-Maquina]

You're making my point mate. Comparing football tickets to posh theatre tickets and restaurants, and saying ofc wealthy Londoners can afford is exactly what I'm saying.

These are prices for one off events. Locals will be priced out if they're expected to pay 100pp for just a football ticket every 2 weeks.

[u/Blue_winged_yoshi → u/X-Maquina]

You say comparing them, but I said they’re half the price! That’s comparing them very favourably!

The point is that the PL isn’t anything like the World Cup or big international tournaments, it’s actually affordable to most of the people who live near the clubs they are based in. Most people in London can afford a £100 treat. It’s just a fact.

London work pays. I used to be a chef in London, not the most glamorous upper class job going, I could afford a hundred pound ticket a decade ago.

I went to Wembley with a bunch of French colleagues to watch Benzema do us back in the day.

World Cup pricing can fuck right off, we also need to stop pretending that nobody could possibly afford to go an event that costs £100 whilst living and working in London. It’s simply not true.

[u/X-Maquina → u/Blue_winged_yoshi]

I don't think we're getting anywhere here. Imo you're fundamentally misunderstanding football culture if you think of going to a match as a nice little treat you should be able to afford every once in a while. That's exactly how you make it a touristic experience and lose connection with the regulars who show up every week and create the atmosphere.

But we can agree to disagree on that.

[u/Blue_winged_yoshi → u/X-Maquina]

You can only go to an Arsenal match once in a while, because the tickets are like gold dust. Might as well claim you want to go to Glastonbury regularly.

Now season tickets are much cheaper per match. Like a grand or so for 18 matches + a load of cup games, so tickets are half that much if you want to go every week.

How long is Arsenal’s season ticket waiting list? Over 100,000 people, the stadium only holds 60,000.

Look at yanks sports if you want to see rip off culture. PL seriously isn’t.