Manchester City Found Guilty on Most Financial Charges, Face Major Sanctions
Manchester City have been found guilty on the overwhelming majority of 115 financial charges, leaving the club facing the prospect of major sporting sanctions and a likely appeal that could extend the case for months.
Possible penalties include a substantial points deduction, fines and the removal of honours won during the period under scrutiny. Any decision to strip titles would reshape recent Premier League history, with Manchester United in line to receive the 2011-12 and 2017-18 championships and Liverpool potentially inheriting the 2013-14 crown.
Ferdinand calls for medals to be returned
Rio Ferdinand has demanded that City surrender their prizes if the sanctions result in titles being taken away. The former Manchester United defender focused on the 2011-12 title, which City won through Sergio Aguero’s famous late goal against QPR on the final day.
Ferdinand, who was on the United side that finished second that season, joked that former City defender Joleon Lescott should bring him a medal when they next meet.
He said that a guilty verdict should mean trophies and winners’ medals are handed back, adding that he intended to tell Lescott directly: “Hand it over.”
Ferdinand argued that City could not continue to claim those achievements if the relevant honours are removed. He said the appropriate response would be to return the silverware and medals, rather than merely imposing financial punishment or relegation.
The former England centre-back had already made his position clear in a social-media post last Friday, writing that another Premier League medal was heading for his cabinet.
Players should not carry the blame
Ferdinand stressed that City’s players should not be held responsible for decisions made above them. He said Pep Guardiola’s side had been England’s outstanding team and praised the manager, while insisting any proven wrongdoing must bring meaningful consequences.
He also said supporters could still appreciate City’s football and the moments produced by the team, even if the club’s record is later reassessed.
“The players are not to blame,” was the thrust of Ferdinand’s argument, with responsibility instead lying with people in positions of authority who made the relevant decisions. He accepted, however, that the squad’s achievements would inevitably be viewed differently.
What happens next
City are expected to contest the outcome robustly, and an appeal means the final punishment may not be confirmed quickly. The exact scale of any sanction remains to be decided.
Until then, City must manage the uncertainty around their past trophies while their current squad continues its work on the pitch. If honours are formally removed, United would gain two league titles from City’s 2011-12 and 2017-18 wins, while Liverpool would be awarded the 2013-14 championship after finishing runners-up in Ferdinand’s final campaign at Old Trafford.
