Manchester City could face severe penalties over alleged financial breaches, but any legal action involving club president Khaldoon Al Mubarak may be complicated by his diplomatic immunity.
According to the Financial Times, Al Mubarak has held diplomatic status since 2020, when he was formally registered as an accredited member of the United Arab Emirates embassy in London because of his position within the UAE government.
The status is recognised by the British authorities and provides protection from certain legal proceedings in the United Kingdom. It could therefore affect any action connected to the case opened by the Premier League against Manchester City.
An independent commission has found Manchester City guilty of financial breaches committed between 2009 and 2018. According to its ruling, the club used fictitious commercial contracts to inflate its revenues and conceal costs exceeding £900m.
The consequences could extend beyond sporting sanctions and the club itself. Officials who were in senior positions at Manchester City during the period under investigation could face scrutiny from the Independent Football Regulator, the body responsible for regulating English football.
The regulator has legal powers to remove owners or directors if it concludes that they do not meet the required standards of suitability, integrity and propriety, according to the Spanish newspaper Sport.
The Manchester City case could also attract the attention of the Serious Fraud Office, the UK agency responsible for investigating major economic crimes.
That could happen if evidence emerged that the club had deliberately falsified its accounts in breach of United Kingdom legislation. Manchester City categorically denies committing any such offence.
Al Mubarak’s diplomatic position is expected to be a significant factor in assessing any potential legal process involving him personally. However, the status does not necessarily resolve the wider questions surrounding the club’s alleged financial conduct or the possible consequences for other officials.
The Premier League case concerns conduct over a nine-year period, while the independent commission’s findings have already established that Manchester City breached financial rules during that time. Any further action could involve sporting penalties, regulatory measures against individuals, or a separate investigation into possible economic crimes.