Former Blackpool manager Ian Holloway has called for Manchester City to be kicked out of the Premier League and the EFL after the club was found guilty of breaching financial rules. The Swindon Town boss, speaking ahead of his side's League Two match against Crewe Alexandra, said City should be sent to non-league and stripped of their titles.
Holloway's six-minute rant
Holloway, 63, launched into a passionate six-minute response when asked if he felt 'robbed' during the 2010-11 season, when Blackpool lost twice to City by a one-goal margin. City, who deny the charges and have appealed, were found to have breached 114 rules during a nine-year period that included Holloway's one season in the top flight with Blackpool.
"To be honest with you, in that whole season, I felt robbed," Holloway said. "My team played so well against Man City. We scored three perfectly good goals. We had one disallowed for being offside, and they scored two. One was not a foul, and the other one was offside."
He added: "So they were given a penalty, and the other goal was offside, and the referee sent me a letter saying we cost you nine points this year because we expected, oh, that must have been a foul because that was Man City, let alone them now cheating."
'Seriously dented football'
Holloway accused City of 'seriously denting football' and 'still lying now' amid their appeal. He said he does not believe former manager Pep Guardiola was involved, but he wants the club's owners to 'get lost'.
"They have seriously dented football and I think it's harmed it and I would absolutely hammer ten bells out of the whole lot of them because they knew what they were doing," he said. "They're still lying about it now, which is absolutely disgraceful."
Holloway also criticised the wider state of the game, saying: "The game worldwide is being ruined by people who are rich, who think they can do God knows what they want to it. And it belongs to every one of us, whether we're rich or poor."
Call for severe punishment
Holloway said the punishment should be harsh, suggesting City be placed in non-league and forced to start again. "For me, get the hell down. Put them in non-league somewhere and make them only use the amount of money," he said.
"Take that all away from them, all the titles, however many, and let them start again and rebuild. Let's see if their owners would even bother if they have to do it right."
He added: "Because they've ruined all of it. Completely and utterly ruined this game that they don't truly believe to be in if they're going to do that. And that's it. End of. Absolutely no respect for me, for you people. Get the hell out."
