Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane has expressed his thoughts on Manchester City's recent predicament. The Premier League confirmed that Manchester City had been found guilty of flouting its rules over a nine-year period between 2009 and 2018. This was done by creating "sham" contracts with commercial partners to secretly funnel more than £830m into their football operations. Keane stated that if he were a Manchester City player, he would "stick those medals in the bin" due to the "cheating" that occurred during that time.
Manchester City won eight trophies, including three Premier League titles, during the period in question. However, Keane believes that these achievements have become redundant due to the "cheating" that took place. He told ITV Sport ahead of England's match against the Czech Republic that the club's actions were unacceptable. Keane also expressed that the club knew their actions would hurt many people, but they still proceeded with them.
Keane's former Manchester United team-mate, Wayne Rooney, shared his thoughts on the possible punishments for Manchester City. One possible punishment could be the club being stripped of top-flight titles. Rooney stated that he wouldn't feel comfortable accepting another Premier League medal if Manchester City were stripped of theirs. He believes that his former team doesn't deserve to be awarded the title retrospectively, as they didn't do enough that season to win the league.
Rooney was part of the United side that finished runners-up to City in the 2011-2012 season. He expressed that if Manchester United were to be awarded the title, he wouldn't want it because they didn't finish first. Rooney also stated that if he were in the shoes of Manchester City players, he would be "absolutely devastated" if his medals were taken away.
Some of Rooney's former Manchester United team-mates, Rio Ferdinand and David de Gea, posted on social media suggesting that they should be awarded retrospective title wins. However, Rooney disagrees with this notion. He believes that Manchester City should face severe punishments, including possible relegation.
Rooney suggested that if he were to decide on a punishment, he would put Manchester City in the lowest league possible and impose restrictions on their spending for the next few seasons. He believes that a 20-point deduction for multiple years would make it difficult for players to stay at the club. Rooney emphasized that the punishment should be severe to have a lasting impact.
The Premier League has yet to announce the sanctions for Manchester City, and the club plans to appeal against the decision. The outcome of this situation will have significant implications for the club and the Premier League as a whole.
Key points
- Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane says he'd throw away his medals if he were a Manchester City player.
- Manchester City was found guilty of breaching Premier League financial rules.
- Possible punishments for Manchester City include being stripped of top-flight titles and relegation.
