The disclosure was made by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) on Monday, as Andy Burnham — now UK Prime Minister — faces pressure to explain his relationship with Manchester City's ownership.
Burnham had earlier said he would be "really worried" if Man City's owners sold the club, after the team was found in breach of Premier League financial rules. The remark drew criticism that he was appearing to side with the club's leadership.
The Prime Minister's office was subsequently forced to issue a clarification, insisting that no one "is above the rules." Questions nonetheless remain about the relationship between Burnham and Man City's owners, who have driven significant investment into Manchester through partnerships with local government.
Man City is owned by Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG), controlled by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a member of the United Arab Emirates royal family.
A GMCA spokesperson said: "In October 2021, in his role as Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham held an official meeting with Khaldoon Al Mubarak at the UK Government's Global Investment Summit, hosted by the Department for International Trade."
According to the statement, in his capacity as mayor, Burnham "was a guest of Manchester City FC at a number of home matches, including Vincent Kompany's testimonial in September 2019, where he met the club chairman informally in the stands. These meetings were declared in line with the rules."
The statement added that during Burnham's time as mayor, "representatives of Greater Manchester's sports clubs regularly took part in business delegations on the mayor's international trade missions."
"This included Manchester United representatives travelling to Austin and Dublin, Lancashire Cricket Club joining a delegation to India, and Manchester City FC staff supporting visits to China and Japan."
Louie French, sports spokesperson for the opposition Conservative Party, said the statement contained "very little information about these meetings, what was discussed and what may have been agreed."
According to French, this falls far short of the "full transparency that football fans deserve. Burnham cannot hide behind the GMCA — he must answer for this himself."
Man City was found to have breached more than 100 Premier League financial rules by arranging "fake" contracts to inflate revenue and reduce costs across nine seasons from 2009 to 2018.
The club, currently leading the Premier League, has appealed the verdict, arguing the ruling contains "serious errors of law, principle and fact, and is unreliable."
If the appeal fails, Man City could face a severe points deduction, or even expulsion from the Premier League.
