Ander Herrera has said Manchester City do not deserve to keep their Premier League titles after being found guilty of breaching top flight spending rules. The former Manchester United midfielder also insisted he does not deserve a title-winning medal, despite finishing runner-up to City in 2018.
City's spending breaches and appeal
City have been plunged into crisis after an independent commission found they breached spending rules for almost a decade. The club has launched an appeal and insists it can prove its innocence. The case has shaken English football and could continue into next season, with the current City squad backing the club's hierarchy.
Herrera, speaking on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, said if he had been part of that team during the offending years, he would be angry with those who ran the club.
Herrera's view on the title and his United exit
“I don't know if we (United) deserve the trophy, but for sure, they don't deserve to win it,” said the Spaniard. “If we want to respect the Premier League, if the Premier League want to keep being respected all around the world, they have to do something. They cannot be blind in this. If I was a Manchester City player, I would be angry with my owners. I would be angry with my board, you know, because they have put all that I have done during these years in doubt.”
Herrera won four trophies during his five years at Old Trafford and was named the club's Player of the Year in his third campaign, before being left heartbroken by how his time in Manchester ended. He is now back at boyhood club Real Zaragoza.
Praise for Paul Pogba
Herrera also named Paul Pogba as the best midfielder he played with, not just at United, but in his entire career. “He was the best, in terms of qualities, the best midfielder I have played with,” said Herrera. “The best, the best by far. He can hit the ball. He can win the ball. He can run with the ball. He can run without the ball. He can recover a lot of balls. He can score. He can attack. He was faster than the opponents. He was stronger. He had everything. Maybe you saw him or you share with him when he was younger, but you could see those qualities. He was unbelievable, but in football, I have been made a lot of times this question, why Pogba didn’t work at United? I have no idea.”
The full interview is available on the Rio Ferdinand Presents YouTube channel.
