Manchester United legend Roy Keane has delivered a furious verdict on Manchester City's guilty verdict, telling the club's players to 'stick medals in the bin' after the Premier League found them guilty of all charges related to serious breaches of financial rules over a nine-season period, and the majority of charges in relation to failure to co-operate with the League's investigation.
Keane's furious response
Speaking to ITV Sport, Keane said: "Well, do you know what? They knew it would hurt a lot of people, and they still done it. And if I was a player with that bit of success and praise that we've given a lot of credit for - but if I was a player I'd be 100% sticking them medals in the bin."
When asked if he'd feel let down by the club as a player, he replied: "Oh 100% of course, of course you would. It's cheating. You're hearing nonsense from ex-players saying 'oh well they won on the pitch'. Because there was cheating. There was cheating going on."
Impact on players and manager
Keane added: "I think it's going to be very difficult for the players, for the manager. The trust, the belief in whatever's gone on at the football club, what they stand for when you've got owners who are quite happy cheating. It's very difficult for these players going forward to try and maintain the level of excellence that they've been [displaying]."
Wright's take and what's next
Fellow pundit Ian Wright said: "You know what it is as well, they've told the players. The players, the fans, they've all believed them, they've tried to stand behind their club, but they told them that nothing bad's going on. And now what is it? 115 charges, 114 charges? And they've been telling people. So if you are a player, something's not right with you, you're thinking this ain't right. We're not meant to be seeing this, it's unprecedented what we're seeing right now and it's sad for everybody. But in respect of the owners and what they've done? Terrible, terrible."
The independent commission found City had 'clearly intended to circumvent Premier League rules' over a nine-season period, engaging in a scheme worth nearly £1billion to either inflate revenues or reduce costs through a series of "sham" arrangements. Premier League chief executive Richard Masters described the case as "the most significant in Premier League history", with the investigation having first commenced in 2018. More than 100 charges were brought against City in February 2023, with the commission hearing the case between September and December 2024. The same commission will now deliberate over punishments, while the club has confirmed its intention to appeal, insisting the decision "contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact, and is unsafe".
