Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright and Manchester United legend Roy Keane have both called for Manchester City to face strong punishment after the club were found guilty of financial breaches. News emerged last week that City had been found guilty of all but one of 115 charges brought against them by the Premier League.
Premier League statement and City's response
The Premier League issued a statement on Tuesday giving four reasons for City being found guilty following a verdict reached by an independent commission. In response, City are maintaining their innocence and issued their own statement, which expressed their "disappointment" and "surprise" at the verdict that was reached.
Wright, who demanded sanctions against City when the news initially emerged last week, has reiterated his stance following the Premier League's announcement.
"It's cheating on an industrial scale. It's quite surreal seeing it written down like that," Wright told ITV Sport. "The amount of stick I've taken off that. Unprecedented punishment is required here. It's a massive day for the Premier League. They've taken on a whole country, massive.
"Very messy. It's a problem for them to be going to Liverpool [in their next fixture]. In their real time, Liverpool were the team chasing them down. Look at what Jurgen Klopp went through to break them - it probably broke him. It's so sad. It's probably going to get very litigious."
Keane's view on the verdict
Roy Keane joined Wright in setting out why he believes City deserve to be punished based on the independent commission's findings.
"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," Keane 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?"
City's statement and appeal
City released a statement on Tuesday evening which read: "Manchester City FC is both disappointed and surprised by the opinion of the Premier League Commission, that has been published today.
"The Club is innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League and a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of all of its positions, relating to this case. The Club will therefore be relentless, and where necessary proactive, in any and all appropriate regulatory and legal forums.
"The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements uncompleted. Manchester City FC will now pursue the appeal avenues open to it, on the basis that the opinion contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact, and is unsafe.
"The Club has diligently respected due process for eight years on the basis that the Premier League Board and Executive would behave as an independent, impartial and fair-minded regulator, free from partisan influence. The Club is obviously restricted in what it can say further until all future proceedings are complete."
City have until Friday (October 2) to submit their appeal.
