After PM Andy Burnham's - a former mayor of Greater Manchester - admission of his fears that the club's owners might leave because of the investigation into 'creative book-keeping', his spokesperson has issued a clarification.
Manchester City's appeal against the Premier League's verdict hinges on the club's claim that its sponsorship deals came from the Abu Dhabi government.
Despite recent on-pitch successes and growing media exposure for women's sport in the UK, major barriers remain, particularly in coaching, where new data shows the number of female coaches is declining.