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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Josh Halliday North of England editor

How success of Manchester City helped put Andy Burnham in power

Andy Burnham smiles holding a scarf while reaching toward a hand holding a phone outside a stadium
Andy Burnham, then the mayor of Greater Manchester, speaks to a reporter after watching a match at the Etihad Stadium in May 2021. Photograph: Alamy Live News

In July 2016, the Manchester City player Yaya Touré ambled into a small bar near Beijing’s Workers’ Stadium and offered a bemused smile as dozens of Chinese fans rushed towards him.

Manchester City had just won their sixth trophy under the big-spending ownership of Sheikh Mansour’s Abu Dhabi United Group and the blues were international megastars. They were also magnets for investment.

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