A representative of Manchester City was invited to join a government‑backed trade delegation to India this week, a move that has drawn criticism after the club was found guilty of 114 breaches of Premier League rules. The trip, organised by Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, saw the club’s delegate travel to Delhi and Mumbai alongside other northern sports and leisure organisations, including Lancashire Cricket Club and Visit Lake District, as part of an effort to promote British tourism and trade.
The invitation came from Manchester’s new mayor, Bev Craig, who accompanied the club representative on the journey. Craig defended the decision in a Guardian interview, arguing that a football club should be punished for rule violations through an independent process, but also that the club’s investment in local infrastructure—such as a new library, leisure centre, sixth‑form college and employment charter signing—has benefited residents in east Manchester. She said that the club’s contributions to the city’s development should not be overlooked, even as it faces an appeal against the Premier League charges.
Manchester City, which maintains its innocence and is appealing the findings, declined to comment on the matter. The controversy follows former Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, who faced scrutiny over his relationship with the club’s owners during his tenure. Burnham has been accused of attending dinners with club chair Khaldoon al‑Mubarak and of receiving hospitality that was later removed from council records. The Prime Minister was also forced to clarify that he had two additional dinners with the chair at the Etihad Stadium, which he had previously described as match‑day hospitality.
The trade delegation also included senior politicians such as Scotland Secretary Douglas Alexander and Environment Secretary Angela Eagle. Business Secretary Reynolds, who met with schoolchildren in a Premier League event in Delhi, denied that the club’s allegations had tarnished the league’s reputation. He stated that the Premier League remains a powerful cultural export and that any disciplinary matters were a football issue rather than a political one.
The trip’s timing has highlighted the tension between the city’s economic interests and the integrity of its football club. While the delegation aimed to showcase northern England’s tourism products, the inclusion of Manchester City—still under appeal for regulatory breaches—has raised questions about the appropriateness of the invitation. The outcome of the Premier League appeal and the broader scrutiny of the club’s ownership will likely influence future decisions about the club’s participation in public events and trade missions.