Jamie Carragher has told Manchester City to release the 'irrefutable' evidence they claim proves their innocence, saying he does not believe the club's ownership can survive the verdict that found them guilty of breaking Premier League rules.
City were found guilty of all charges related to serious breaches of Premier League financial rules and the majority of those relating to failure to cooperate with the division's investigation, having had 115 charges levied against them. The club plan to appeal and have suggested their evidence has been ignored.
Carragher questions ownership's future
Speaking to Sky Sports, the former Liverpool defender said he cannot see a way for City to escape punishment and believes the club will remain stained while the current ownership stays in charge.
"I just don't see how the ownership can continue after what has happened here and the way they are actually reacting to it," he said. "How can they be surprised, and that they have got irrefutable evidence? Where is it? Put it out there, surely."
"If you have irrefutable evidence of something and you are getting charged by the police, you hand it to them because you want this over with as quickly as possible. City have almost dragged this on, kicking the can down the road."
Stain on the club
Carragher continued: "The club are going to get punished. For me, this is all about the owners. I don't know how the owners can continue in English football."
He added: "We talk about the fit and proper test for owners, what they have done over ten years now in the Premier League and this stain that will be there for the next ten years about 'did they win it really, was that fair?'"
Carragher also criticised the club's response, saying: "This all starts with Manchester City and it starts because they do not like the word 'no'. When the rules came in, it's in the emails: 'We can do what we want'."
"And when you see the statements in the last couple of days, the one from Sorriano last night, it actually beggars belief what you are watching and hearing here. Until they move away from the club, I don't know how this stain is ever removed from the club."
