British government could ‘force Sheikh Mansour to sell’ Man City

Mansour has owned Man City since 2008

The report comes amidst calls from human rights organisation FairSquare on the UK government to consider sanctions against Mansour.

FairSquare have argued that: “If the UK government is serious about disrupting this horrendous conflict”, then Sheikh Mansour provides “a very obvious point of leverage,” as quoted in The Athletic's report.

The Manchester City owner is also deputy prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, a nation that has been accused of alleged support for "a paramilitary group accused of committing war crimes in Sudan," per the Athletic's report.

Over the past two years, conflict in Sudan has led to the loss of around 150,000 lives according to US government officials.

The UAE have been accused of arming paramilitary force the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), one of the groups deeply involved within the Sudanese civil war. 

The Middle Eastern country have always denied any connection or support with either side within the conflict.

FairSquare's calls on the government to impose sanctions are far from the first, nor the most prominent to have occurred this year.

Previous statements on Sheikh Mansour's and the UAE's alleged involvement in the conflict have been made by some of the biggest names in British politics.

In January, while sitting in parliament, former Conservative leader Ian Duncan Smith said:

“As the ultimate owner of Manchester City football club, Sheikh Mansour is possibly the most high-profile UAE investor in the UK economy. What are we going to do about that? That is a signal and serious problem for us.

“Will the [Foreign] Minister confirm that, given the appalling crimes of the RSF, which fall squarely in the purview of the global human rights sanctions scheme, the department has carried out a full assessment of whether representatives of the UAE government may meet the criteria for sanctions, given the significant role the UAE is alleged to play in support of the RSF and the substantial influence of the UAE on investments in the UK economy and public life?”

In February, Labour's foreign secretary Yvette Cooper said the following, while announcing sanctions against six other individuals:

“We will seek to dismantle the war machine of those who perpetrate or profit from the brutal violence in Sudan, and we will send a message to every individual responsible for commanding these armies and committing these atrocities that they will one day be held to account."

It is important to make clear that, at this point, there has been no formal confirmation from the UK government that discussions over potential sanctions are yet underway.

What would sanctions mean for Mansour's role as Man City owner?

According to the Athletic: "Sanctions available to the British government include a range of measures designed to put pressure on a target state, including asset freezes and a prohibition on transactions with UK businesses."

The best example for comparison are the sanctions imposed on then-Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich in 2022 for his alleged relationship with the Kremlin during Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

While Abramovich always denied the allegations, he was ultimately forced to sell his stakes at the Stamford Bridge outfit.

Under existing Premier League rules, a sanction for Mansour would mean the Manchester City owner would be in breach of the division's Owners’ and Directors’ Test.

As well as for those with unspent criminal convictions, who have breached betting on football laws, and been subject to insolvency proceedings, the rules also include a ban for any sanctioned individual, which is why Abramovich was forced to sell Chelsea.

As such, much like Abramovich, should Sheikh Mansour be sanctioned by the government, he would likely be forced to sell Manchester City.

Whether or not Mansour is forced to sell the club will now depends on whether the government push forward with sanctions.