Manchester City have been found guilty of 114 of the 115 Premier League charges against them, but the league has reportedly decided it has little appetite to strip the club of the trophies they won between 2009 and 2018. The verdict follows a lengthy investigation by an independent panel, and sanctions have not yet been confirmed. City have appealed against the decision.
Pundits call for punishment
Roy Keane and Ian Wright, working as pundits for ITV on Saturday night during England's Nations League match against Spain at Wembley, both argued that City should be stripped of the eight trophies they lifted during the period in question. Keane said: "It's about time. It's obviously been going on a long time now. Yeah I certainly would disagree with Rodri's messages there. It was their choice - the club chose to cheat."
He added: "Whatever they have won over the last few years, they deserve to be punished. Where we start and finish with that obviously is difficult. But they were cheating and they were found guilty of it. They have to take their medicine now. It was a shock really, to be found guilty of 114 of the charges. So yeah, big news."
Wright and Mata weigh in
Wright echoed Keane's views, saying: "Going back to Rodri, talking about what he did, went shoulder to shoulder with the guys. Course they can't take that away from them, the experience of that. But they should take it away from them. They should be punished for it." He added: "What have we taken from Liverpool's legacy? Klopp and that team. What could they have experienced? Roy's right. They cheated to get it done and people have missed out, players have missed out on unbelievable opportunities for themselves."
Former Manchester United attacker Juan Mata, who would inherit two more league winner's medals if City were stripped of their titles, said: "Actually, it directly affects me. I've been lucky enough to play many games and win some trophies. But I never won the Premier League... or have I?! Twice. Because twice we were second in those years. I don't know what's going to happen but I think they're right. Whoever has been cheating needs to be punished."
Club and league respond
The Premier League declined to comment on the case. City said in a statement on Friday: "The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality. As such Manchester City FC's position remains consistent with the club's statement of February 2023."
City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak added on Saturday: "Here's what I said to my family: The Premier League process still has a long way to run, and our confidence and intent in proving the club's innocence is just as strong as when this began." He noted that strict confidentiality prevented him from sharing more details at the moment, and that even his letter underwent several legal checks to ensure compliance.
