As Manchester City prepare to take on Liverpool in the Premier League, the build-up to the game has been given extra spice. The two fierce rivals will face off against the backdrop of City being found guilty of almost all charges concerning financial rule breaches between 2009 and 2018.
City have lodged an appeal following a strong statement from the league. They continue to protest their innocence and disagree with the findings reached by an independent commission.
The period affected by the charges includes one season in which City beat Liverpool to the Premier League title on the final day of the season. The clubs have held a fierce rivalry for a number of years, including the near-decade when Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola were in the two dugouts, much of which came after 2018.
Collymore calls for expulsion from Football League
Former Liverpool frontman Stan Collymore has called for perhaps the most severe judgement. He doesn't simply want City relegated from the Premier League - he has demanded they be expelled from the Football League altogether.
"I would exclude them from the Premier League for a period," Collymore told Canadasportsbetting. "I would expel them from the EFL, which means they would have to start from the lowest National League. They would have to get promoted all the way back again."
"I would say that they would have to expel them, because if you just put them in the Championship, they are back in a year or two they will be back and that's not a punishment."
Collymore also argued City should repay sponsorship income, Premier League prize money and broadcasting revenue. He also pre-empted criticisms about his personal allegiances, arguing his stance wouldn't be any different if one of his own old employers had done the same.
"I would come up with a figure that would be given to all the other teams that have lost points, that have got into the Championship, lost the titles and so on," Collymore added. "Then you would send a massive message, saying; It doesn't matter the name of the club, it matters what that club has done."
Wright and Neville demand severe sanctions
While working as a pundit during ITV's coverage of the UEFA Nations League, Ian Wright similarly demanded severe sanctions. "It's cheating on an industrial scale," the former Arsenal star said.
"It's quite surreal seeing it written down like that. You can't mention [Man] City without mentioning what's going on because they were so great."
"I feel like an unprecedented punishment is required here. It's a massive day for the Premier League, they've taken on a whole country."
Questions have also been asked about what to do with City's ownership, who were in charge for the entire period impacted by the charges. Speaking on Stick to Football, Manchester United's former skipper Gary Neville insisted those owners ought to be ousted.
"Points deductions, fines, transfer bans, removing the titles - not giving them to others, just removing the titles - it's significant punishments," Neville said. "The only punishment that would be fair would be have huge consequences - the biggest consequence - would be removing the owners."
"That is the only consequence if I was Manchester City that I would be worried about. And as a fan of Manchester City, if you wanted to keep the investment that you've currently got, that would be the one I'd be most concerned about."
Carragher and Shearer on lasting ramifications
Jamie Carragher also maintained City's sanction should have lasting ramifications. Speaking on The Overlap Fan Debate, he suggested that, given the nine-year timeframe encompassed by the allegations, the club's punishment should also span several years.
"I think if the people talk about 80 points or 100 points, but that's just over one season that gets you relegated and then you come back again," he said. "And I think players, a few of them would leave, but I think some of them would say, 'I could put up with that for a year.' It also builds a connection with the supporters, it'll be seeing in a great light."
"But I think because this has gone on for so long, I do think the punishment should be over a number of years, three to five years and then players would move on. But then you've got the financial aspect of how can they afford the wages of those players if they haven't got Premier League money?"
"If they're having to pay all this money out and you can only spend the money that you're bringing in. They'll have to abide by it now."
Shearer, who won the league with Blackburn, argued no sanction would be excessive. He was another to emphasise the need for a swift resolution after the initial ruling took some time to arrive.
"Manchester City deserves whatever punishment they get," the Premier League's all-time top scorer told Betfair. "We'll have to wait to see what they do get, but whatever they get, they have no one else to blame but themselves. You have to also think and look at the other clubs, whether that be Liverpool or whether that be Man United or whether that be Arsenal who have lost out on titles, other clubs who have lost out on Champions League places and other clubs who have been relegated."
Commenting on the need for a speedy resolution, he added: "We've now got City who are sitting top of the league and it's ironic they're going to Liverpool in their next game. That's why I feel as if it has to be sorted sooner rather than later because the longer it drags on, the longer it damages English football and the Premier League."
"Because you've got a team who are there and all these charges have been thrown at them. They keep on saying they've got evidence to suggest it's all wrong. Well, this has been going on for years and you've got an independent panel who have just gone, 'No, you're wrong. You're totally wrong.'"
"Now, they're sitting top of our league at this moment in time. Every single game that they play, you can imagine the scenario at every single ground they go to."
Keane and Pearce on players and resolution
Roy Keane, a multiple Premier League title winner with Manchester United, called on City's players to recognise what the latest developments signify. "If I was a player, I'd be 100% sticking those medals in the bin," he said on ITV's coverage of Czech Republic vs England.
"Of course you would, it's cheating. They won it on the pitch because cheating was going on. They knew it would hurt a lot of people, but they've still done it."
He also acknowledged there remain unanswered questions regarding the sanctions imposed on City. "It's very damaging for the league, the brand is huge all over the world, but for them [City] to be caught cheating, they deserve that punishment," he said.
"It's bittersweet. You deserve to be punished, but it's not good for the league. What about the players who have been part of the problem, new players, what happens now going forward?"
Stuart Pearce, who represented City as a player and a manager before the current ownership took charge, delivered a forthright response of his own on The Overlap Fan Debate. "I hope it's resolved quicker than my expectation," said Pearce, who revealed he felt saddened for the sport as a whole following the recent developments.
"I know you're putting time dates on it and we're thinking maybe by January everything will be resolved. I'm not so sure. I think this could run and run and run, and I hope I'm wrong."
"The Premier League need to put down almost an iron fist here and send a message out to all the other clubs, as well as Manchester City if they think they've wronged and got it horribly wrong, and what the punishment will be... I wouldn't like to be one of the people making a judgment on the panel to say what is a fit and proper punishment for this situation."
"I think if there's going to be a massive fine, I'd like to see the money go to good [causes], maybe go into grassroots football and not just be hovered up somewhere at the Premier League. I'd love to see that, to see the good of the game, something good come out of it to be quite honest with you, whether there's a demotion through the leagues, it could be absolutely anything."
"And I'm almost watching with interest as somebody that when I managed at Manchester City, we didn't have a bean, we didn't own the ground, we didn't own the club shop. My first major decision I had to make as manager was to sell Shaun Wright-Phillips, otherwise the club would go bust. It's incredible the journey the club had been on and, in the process, as we speak, going in full circle. Time will tell."
