Ian Wright has demanded Manchester City be given an "unprecedented punishment" after the club was found guilty of breaking 114 Premier League financial rules.
Last week it emerged that an independent commission had found City guilty on all but one of the 115 charges levelled against them, with the accusations spanning from 2009 to 2018. The Premier League have since released a statement, breaking their silence for the first time since the guilty verdict, detailing four reasons why the independent panel found City guilty, including 'sham contracts' with some of the club's commercial partners.
Wright's verdict on City's breaches
Wright, who initially called for City to face sanctions when the news broke last week, has reiterated his stance in the wake of 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 ahead of England's Nations League game against Czech Republic.
"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."
City's response and Keane's view
City, who continue to assert their innocence, responded to the Premier League's statement by issuing their own official response, expressing their "disappointment" and "surprise" at the announcement.
Manchester United icon Roy Keane, who was present alongside Wright, voiced his opinion on why he believes City should face penalties based on the findings of the independent commission.
"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 stated.
"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 official statement
On Tuesday evening, City released a statement 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."
