Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane has expressed his disdain for Manchester City's actions, stating that he would discard his medals if he were a player for the club. This comes after City was found guilty of breaching Premier League financial rules over a nine-year period. The Premier League confirmed that City had created "sham" contracts with commercial partners to secretly funnel over £830m into their football operations between 2009 and 2018.
Manchester City won eight trophies, including three Premier League titles, during the period in question. However, Keane believes that these achievements are tainted by the "cheating" that took place. He told ITV Sport that if he were a City player, he would "stick those medals in the bin" because they were won through illicit means. Keane also criticized the club, saying they knew their actions would hurt others but proceeded with them anyway.
Keane's former Manchester United teammate, Wayne Rooney, shared a different perspective on the issue. Rooney stated that he wouldn't feel comfortable accepting a Premier League title if City were stripped of theirs as punishment. He believes that his former team didn't do enough to win the league in the 2011-2012 season, when they finished runners-up to City. Rooney expressed concerns that if he were in City's shoes and had his medals taken away, he would be "absolutely devastated."
Rooney did suggest that City should face relegation as a punishment. He proposed that the club be demoted to the lowest league possible and face restrictions on their spending for several seasons. This, he believes, would be a more significant punishment than a simple relegation to the Championship. Rooney's views were echoed by some of his former teammates, including Rio Ferdinand and David de Gea, who suggested that City's titles should be awarded to other teams.
Former Tottenham and Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino also weighed in on the issue, stating that the Premier League has "lived through a period of deception." Pochettino, who managed three clubs in the Premier League during the period in question, expressed sadness and disappointment that City's actions had damaged the league's integrity. He questioned how the controls had failed and suggested that punishments, such as docking points or economic penalties, would be difficult to implement.
Pochettino previously suggested that Chelsea should be stripped of the 2016-17 Premier League title after being found guilty of historical rule breaches and that it should be "awarded" to his Tottenham side, who finished runners-up. Sources have indicated that other top-flight clubs are seeking legal advice on possible compensation claims following the decision against City. City were charged by the Premier League in February 2023, following a four-year investigation.
The Premier League's independent commission will announce sanctions against City, which may include stripping them of titles or imposing points deductions. City plans to appeal against the decision. The club has denied any wrongdoing, despite being found guilty of breaching Premier League rules. The outcome has sparked a heated debate about fairness and sportsmanship in the Premier League.
Key points
- - Roy Keane says he'd discard his Manchester City medals if he played for them due to the club's financial rule breaches. - Wayne Rooney suggests City should face relegation and spending restrictions as punishment. - Manchester City faces possible sanctions, including title stripping or points deductions, after being found guilty of breaching Premier League financial rules.
