It’s been less than a week since the Premier League confirmed reports from days earlier that Manchester City had indeed been found guilty of breaking financial rules. 114 of them, in fact.And yet it’s Britain that may end up being collateral damage in all of this, amid suggestions that the United Arab Emirates have warned the government they could scrap big investments in the UK if City are punished severely for their alleged rule breaches.City continue to deny wrongdoing and have appealed. They’re adamant they’ve been unfairly treated, that the independent commission that found them guilty has an ‘unsafe’ opinion, while also believing it contains clear material errors of law, principle and fact.City say they have a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence, including bank statements and transaction records, that supports their position on the matter. They are insisting sponsorship money, labelled by the Premier League as a ‘sham’, came directly from the Abu Dhabi government, instead of their majority owners. Privately, they believe they have been targeted because of the ‘red cartel’, a conspiracy theory that football chiefs only want the big clubs, such as Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal, competing for glory and entertaining supporters all around the world.But if the appeal fails, City face catastrophic consequences. Titles won under Roberto Mancini, Manuel Pellegrini and Pep Guardiola could all be removed. Relegation from the Premier League is a strong possibility, as well as a huge points deduction. There’s even been chatter of the club being booted out of English football altogether, with the EFL not guaranteed to accept their entry.It is, in short, a tipping point for the beautiful game. If the original verdict is upheld, the modern era will be almost redundant. If City are successful, the Premier League will be embarrassed to such an extent it’s highly unlikely it will ever be able to recover.It’s never good when politics and sport intertwine. But here we are because, according to Bloomberg, UAE chiefs have said ‘the Premier League’s actions’ could ‘have an influence on the bilateral state relationship’.The Telegraph have even reporter the UAE is threatening to withdraw a multibillion-pound investment in a Silicon Valley-style Oxbridge tech hub. Manchester City have lodged an appeal after being found guilty of breaching Premier League financial rules | GETTYFurthermore, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has been dragged into the storm. Another punishment possibility is that City’s Abu Dhabi owners might be forced to sell up, if deemed unfit to run and rule a football club. Mr Burnham, when quizzed on that matter, sparked controversy by praising them at a time when they’re being scrutinised more than ever before.”I would be really concerned to lose them,” he said. “They’ve been such a huge partner in the building of modern Manchester and obviously the building of Manchester City into the global force that it is.”Immediately, the backlash was swift. Some fans accused him of applying political pressure onto the proccess. Shadow sports minister Louie French labelled Mr Burnham’s comments ‘extraordinary’. Forced to respond, Number 10 said that the ‘the initial judgement is serious and there can’t be any suggestion that anyone is above the rules’.A spokesperson went further to defend the PM, adding: “He also stressed that it is an ongoing independent process. It is essential that it is allowed to run its course and the outcome respected.Andy Burnham has been dragged into the Manchester City storm after praising the club’s owners | PA”Wherever wrongdoing is established, those responsible should face the appropriate consequences.”The problem is now, however, that fans want blood. The game is still meant to be about the fans, after all, even though it’s become increasingly evident that’s not really the case.Spiralling ticket costs. The European Super League scandal. The way fans have to pay dizzying amounts for jerseys each year, plus extra if they want a name on the back. The scheduling of games that result in fans forking out for overnight stays because trains don’t run. Anyway…Certain clubs also want City punished, though there’s a range of emotions at play there. Some feel anger that City have allegedly cheated their way to the top of the pyramid. Others are said to have a more sympathetic view due to the nature of the rules in place and how they, whether people like it or not, seem to favour the historic giants of the past.The bottom line is, however, that City are effectively being accused of cheating. It is the ultimate dirty word in sport. Juventus did it during the 2000s when the match-fixing scandal erupted, overshadowing one of Italy’s sunniest summers when they country had won the World Cup. Lance Armstrong did it in cycling, with the American banished among the demons of sport.City shouldn’t have been able to spend the money they did. Carlos Tevez was one of their first big marquee signings, with the Argentine famously ditching Manchester United to play at the Etihad Stadium. It raised eyebrows at the time and does so now more than ever.Sergio Aguero is responsible for the biggest moment in Premier League history, when he scored at the death against Queens Park Rangers in 2012 to fire City to title glory at United’s expense. That goal, so memorable and magical, is now tarnished because there are question marks about whether he, and so many of his team-mates, should have been permitted to join in the first place.City signed Kevin De Bruyne, Yaya Toure, Fernandinho, David Silva, Raheem Sterling and more. Players who would go on to become Premier League legends, whose names are frequently dragged into the debates for the greatest of all time in their respective positions. A world-class winning machine, accused of being assembled in all wrong ways. Manchester City’s dramatic title triumph in 2012 is currently tarnished, though an appeal could save the club and the crown they won that year | GETTYAnd then there’s Guardiola, who steered the City ship to heights many thought they’d never be able to reach. The Spaniard has backed the club, insisting he remains one of them despite leaving this summer. Like the players they recruited, there is no suggestion he was involved.But would Guardiola have really gone to the Etihad if he hadn’t been promised significant, unparalleled backing? At Barcelona and Bayern Munich, there was already A-listers in every position. A good squad though City had by the time of his arrival, it required far more spending to truly turn them into a dynasty. Lest we forget, the club did finish third in his first season in the dugout. It took deals for Ederson, Kyle Walker, Bernardo Silva in more to restore them to the summit of the English game.If City escape a heavy punishment, including relegation, it effectively suggests cheating doesn’t matter. That other clubs can do it too and expect leniency. That the Premier League rules, to steal a quote from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, are ‘more like guidelines anyway’.They didn’t just apparently breach one or two rules. They allegedly financially doped their way to the top. Including not co-operating with the Premier League. The commission even remarkably found that some witnesses gave false evidence and knowingly misled it.The book needs to be thrown at them for the good of the game, should the verdict be upheld.To ensure the fairness, and integrity of sport, remains.If that doesn’t happen, then what happens next could have terrible consequences for the biggest division on the planet.