Gary Neville has suggested Manchester City could now be viewed in the same "negative way" as Juventus and Marseille after the club was found guilty of breaching financial rules. The former Manchester United defender spoke after City's first Premier League match since the verdict, a 2-0 win over Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.
An independent commission found City guilty of 114 breaches of financial rules. The club maintains its innocence and has appealed the verdict. The hostility from fans during the match was evident, and a punishment could include relegation if the appeal fails.
Neville compares City to European clubs with scandals
Neville pointed to the lasting reputational damage suffered by Marseille and Juventus after their own scandals. He said on his podcast: "Marseille and Juventus are still to this day thought of in that negative way, and it is a problem for the Premier League right now. That's the first Man City game I've done since the verdict came out, and it does feel different."
He added: "There is a but, there is a shadow, there is a cloud with a load of rain and a massive storm. You just don't know when its going to burst, but you know its coming and its just waiting."
Carragher urges Premier League to resolve issue quickly
City are the only team in the top flight with a perfect record, having won six games from six. The guilty charges cover the period from 2009 to 2018. Jamie Carragher, the former Liverpool defender turned pundit, said the Premier League is suffering because a team found guilty of rule breaking sits top of the table.
Carragher said: "Every headline tomorrow will be this is a sham league. This is why its imperative Man City and the Premier League get this sorted ASAP. We can't have this." He also said: "We should be really proud with what we have in the Premier League. We've got these eyes on us with people asking 'is this real, is this fake?' You know we look at the Italian league, maybe others leagues, and think 'I'm not too sure about that', that's never been the case here."
