Manchester City are understood to have been found guilty of 114 of the 115 charges relating to breaches of the Premier League’s financial regulations. City are expected to appeal against the decision, with sanctions not yet decided, but all possibilities remaining on the table.
The investigation into the Etihad Stadium outfit began after financial documents were leaked in November 2018, and has been ongoing throughout the period in which they won a succession of major honours under Pep Guardiola, who left the club in the summer after a decade as manager.
While Liverpool were City’s main domestic rivals during Guardiola’s reign, and were twice pipped to the Premier League title by the club by a solitary point despite earning more than 90 points, the alleged breaches took place between 2009 and 2018.
Robertson defends City players
Former Liverpool vice-captain Andy Robertson has insisted it would be wrong for Man City’s players to be tarnished by the club’s alleged breaches, despite missing out on two titles to the club.
“I think you can hear the shock in my voice. The case has obviously been going on,” he said when speaking ahead of Scotland’s Nations League clash with Slovenia. “For me, the [Man City] players showed they were good enough on the pitch.
“I don’t know too much about the charges. But they had an incredible team, one that I loved battling against. I don’t think when it comes to these things that players are ever to blame. That’s all I can focus on.”
Robertson’s stance is understandable. There can be no denying City’s superiority at the top of English football, alongside Liverpool, for the majority of the past eight years. Yes, such prizes have come as part of City benefitting from the knock-on effects of their alleged misconduct. But there is no disputing that they were deserved winners on the pitch.
However, what can be disputed is the honours they won when the alleged breaches took place. Consequently, City’s 2013/14 Premier League title win at the Reds’ expense - coming out on top by just two points - is one of a number of triumphs that could now come under scrutiny rather than prizes won during the majority of Guardiola’s reign of dominance.
Possible sanctions and reactions
It remains to be seen how City could be sanctioned. The Athletic claim that one possible scenario could see all clubs impacted coming together to launch a class-action lawsuit and seek damages. Beyond that, could they be fined? Handed a transfer ban? Be handed a hefty points deduction? Banned from Europe? Relegated? Or even have historic titles stripped? Only time will tell.
Former Liverpool defender Jose Enrique, along with Manchester United legends Rio Ferdinand and David De Gea, all came out following the verdict and made claim to lost Premier League winner’s medals. Quote-retweeting a TNT Sports post which pictured Enrique kissing the Premier League trophy, taken from an old Paddy Power skit after City were first charged in 2023, the Spaniard wrote: “Is already here!!! Thank you Premier League and send me the medal soon too”.
Of course, Enrique’s response is only tongue-in-cheek. But what if he got his wish and City were stripped of the 2013/14 Premier League, with Liverpool crowned belated champions in their place? Who would be due a winner’s medal?
The 21 players guaranteed a medal
Since the 2012/13 season, a player needs to have played in a minimum of five matches for a title-winning team to qualify for a medal, while clubs are allocated 40 medals and are free to distribute those left as they see fit. Brendan Rodgers called upon 25 players in the Premier League during the 2013/14 season, with a further five named in matchday squads without playing.
Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard would belatedly be awarded an elusive Premier League winner’s medal, with only 21 of Rodgers’ squad guaranteed such an accolade.
- Simon Mignolet - Appearances: 38, Starts: 38
- Martin Skrtel - Appearances: 36, Starts: 36
- Jordan Henderson - Appearances: 35, Starts: 35
- Steven Gerrard - Appearances: 34, Starts: 33
- Luis Suarez - Appearances: 33, Starts: 33
- Philippe Coutinho - Appearances: 33, Starts: 28
- Raheem Sterling - Appearances: 33, Starts: 24
- Glen Johnson - Appearances: 29, Starts: 29
- Daniel Sturridge - Appearances: 29, Starts: 26
- Lucas Leiva - Appearances: 27, Starts: 20
- Joe Allen - Appearances: 24, Starts: 15
- Jon Flanagan - Appearances: 22, Starts: 23
- Daniel Agger - Appearances: 20, Starts: 16
- Kolo Toure - Appearances: 20, Starts: 15
- Victor Moses - Appearances: 19, Starts: 6
- Mamadou Sakho - Appearances: 18, Starts: 17
- Aly Cissokho - Appearances: 15, Starts: 12
- Iago Aspas - Appearances: 14, Starts: 5
- Luis Alberto - Appearances: 9, Starts: 0
- Jose Enrique - Appearances: 8, Starts: 6
- Martin Kelly - Appearances: 5, Starts: 0
Beyond the 21, a further four players made a Premier League appearance in 2013/14 while five were named in matchday squads without making an appearance. Had Liverpool won the title, it would have been at their own discretion which of the aforementioned players would have been awarded a winner’s medal, with the allocation also reserved for Rodgers and his coaching staff.
Andre Wisdom (Appearances: 2, Starts: 1), Jordon Ibe (Appearances: 1, Starts: 0), Joao Carlos Teixeira (Appearances: 1, Starts: 0) and Brad Smith (Appearances: 1, Starts: 0) all made appearances. Brad Jones was an unused substitute 37 times, Fabio Borini twice, Tiago Ilori twice, Jordan Rossiter twice and Danny Ward once.
What might have been
Of course, this is all ifs and buts while it remains unclear how the Premier League will sanction Man City. But the Liverpool class of 2014 can now feel a little more aggrieved at falling short of title glory.
The Reds had been five points clear at the top of the table with three games left to play, and nine ahead of City who still boasted two games in hand. What happened next is well documented, with a Gerrard slip helping gift Chelsea a 2-0 victory at Anfield before Liverpool threw away a 3-0 lead away at Crystal Palace.
With City winning all five of their final matches, they ruthlessly took advantage to deny the Reds a first domestic title since 1990. But with Liverpool only falling short by two points at a time when City allegedly breached financial rules, only time will tell if they are to be reprimanded retrospectively or not. In the meantime, Rodgers’ squad could be forgiven for being a little bit more bitter about how they missed out. For now, the Liverpool class of 2014 are arguably Premier League champions that never were.
