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.
A statement from the English Premier League said an independent commission found that the club had arranged "sham" contracts and agreements to artificially inflate its revenues and reduce its costs.