Downing Street says Manchester City not 'above the rules'

In a statement, a No 10 spokesperson said: "As the prime minister made clear, the initial judgement is serious and there can't be any suggestion that anyone is above the rules."

Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester, told the BBC on Wednesday he did not want to see the club's Emirati owners walk away as a result of the case.

"I would be really concerned to lose them," he said, highlighting the investment the club's controlling Abu Dhabi United Group had made in Manchester.

The 10-time English champions, who deny any wrongdoing, face an uncertain future after being found guilty of more than 100 breaches.

The Abu Dhabi-backed super-club were found to have arranged "sham" deals to artificially inflate revenues and reduce costs by more than £900 million ($1.2 billion) between 2009 and 2018.

Downing Street in its statement said the "ongoing independent process" into the club must be "allowed to run its course and the outcome respected".

"Wherever wrongdoing is established, those responsible should face the appropriate consequences," the spokesperson added.