Kyle Walker has admitted that Manchester City's 114 financial charges "don't look great" and expressed fears that he could lose his medals, as the club appeals the guilty verdict.
The former City defender, who spent eight seasons at the Etihad Stadium between 2017 and 2025, won 17 major trophies including six Premier League titles. The independent panel found City guilty of 114 breaches of the league's financial rules, with accusations that the club artificially inflated their income through 'sham' sponsorship deals. City have consistently denied any wrongdoing.
Potential Punishments and Appeal
Possible sanctions include a substantial fine and a points deduction severe enough to send City into the Championship. The Mail has reported that a further deduction could follow, potentially leaving them facing a second season in the second tier. While the EFL would not be obliged to enforce that punishment, reports suggest it would do so. Other potential sanctions include a transfer embargo and stripping City of the titles they won during the period covered by the charges.
The uncertainty over City's honours also puts an awkward spotlight on Walker's tattoo, which reads 'four in a row' to mark the club's four consecutive Premier League titles.
Walker's Response
Walker confirmed on talkSPORT: "[I've got] 'four in a row' tattooed." Presenter Andy Goldstein then probed: "If they take the medals away have you got a tattoo removal firm ready to take that one?" Walker replied: "Well I'm probably going to have to do that bit! I'll try and keep it on, but hopefully we don't get things taken away."
Asked about the charges, Walker added: "It's the big elephant in the room we're probably all going to be asked when doing interviews or whatever. It doesn't look great. Let's not hide from the fact they've been found guilty but they're going through an appeal. As a player all I can say is all we did is go out and play our best as a team and I'll defend the players for the rest of my life, because I feel what we did and achieved in that time was incredible and probably won't be done ever again. But from the outside looking in, it doesn't look great and we have to address that."
Next Steps
It is unlikely that any punishment will be handed down to City until the appeals process has been navigated.
