Daily News 19

Tag: Premier League financial rules

  • Roy Keane Accuses Manchester City of Cheating: “If I were a player, I’d throw those medals in the trash”

    Roy Keane Accuses Manchester City of Cheating: “If I were a player, I’d throw those medals in the trash”

    Key Highlights

    • Roy Keane said he would throw away his medals if he had played for Manchester City after the club was found guilty of breaching Premier League financial rules.
    • The Premier League accused Manchester City of using sham commercial agreements and falsely altering its financial position by more than €1.050 billion.
    • Wayne Rooney said he would not want Manchester United to receive the 2011–12 Premier League title retrospectively if City were sanctioned.

    Roy Keane condemns Manchester City financial breaches

    Manchester United legend Roy Keane has sharply criticised Manchester City after the club was found guilty of breaching Premier League financial rules over nine seasons. Keane said he would reject any medals won during a period affected by financial misconduct, arguing that Manchester City’s on-field success was linked to cheating.

    “They knew this would hurt a lot of people, but they did it anyway. If I were a player, I’d throw those medals in the trash without hesitation. Of course I would; it’s cheating… They won on the field because cheating was going on,”

    Keane made the comments to ITV Sport after England’s 2-0 victory over the Czech Republic in the Nations League. The remarks followed allegations that Manchester City used commercial arrangements to inflate revenues and reduce costs under the Premier League’s financial regulations.

    Premier League allegations against Manchester City

    The Premier League states that Manchester City arranged sham contracts (which misrepresented the real agreement between the parties) with several of its commercial partners, in addition to using “sham” agreements with others, in order to artificially inflate the club’s revenues and reduce its costs.

    The league also accused Manchester City of falsely altering its financial situation by more than 1.050 billion euros. According to the allegations, the club agreed sponsorship deals worth substantial sums with several companies, but the sponsors paid only part of the agreed amounts. The remainder was allegedly covered by Abu Dhabi United Group Investment & Development Ltd, Manchester City’s owner.

    The Premier League said this arrangement allowed Manchester City to artificially inflate the club’s revenue and therefore spend more under the competition’s financial rules. The source states that Manchester City was found guilty on 114 of the 115 charges brought against the club.

    Concerns over Manchester City players and owners

    Keane also warned that the allegations could affect Manchester City’s players, coach Enzo Maresca and the club’s wider reputation. He said it would be difficult for a team to sustain elite standards while operating under scrutiny of its ownership.

    “I think the situation will be very difficult for the players, the coach (Enzo Maresca) and the club—and for what they represent—when you have owners who have no qualms about cheating. It’s complicated to maintain a level of excellence,”

    The source also describes the ownership as cheating owners, reflecting the criticism directed at Manchester City after the Premier League ruling. The allegations have prompted broader debate about the credibility of titles won during the period under investigation.

    Ian Wright calls for an unprecedented Manchester City punishment

    Arsenal legend Ian Wright said players may have recognised that something was wrong even if they were not aware of what was taking place at board level.

    “they were told that nothing bad was happening. But, as a player, you realize that something doesn’t add up”.

    Wright called for a severe response from the Premier League, describing the case as an important test for the competition’s governance.

    “An unprecedented sanction is required here. It is a crucial day for the Premier League. It is a very murky matter,”

    The source also carries the description An unprecedented punishment is required. It’s a very murky affair in connection with Wright’s criticism. It separately references an internal Manchester City video reaction using the phrase It’s a conspiracy, without providing further details about the video.

    Wayne Rooney rejects retrospective Premier League medal

    Wayne Rooney, who was playing for Manchester United when Manchester City won the 2011–12 Premier League title, said he would not want the championship awarded to United retrospectively if City were ultimately sanctioned.

    “To be honest, I wouldn’t feel comfortable accepting another Premier League medal, because I don’t think we deserve it. We didn’t do enough that season to win the Premier League,”

    Rooney said the situation would be devastating for players who had competed honestly but were unaware of decisions made in the boardroom.

    “I think about their players: they are there doing everything possible to win the Premier League title and, in their minds, they have already achieved it. And if those players have no knowledge of what is happening in the boardrooms, then—if it happened to me, if Manchester United had suddenly done the same and they took away my Premier League medals—I would be absolutely devastated”.

    He added:

    “They could take them away, but I wouldn’t want that, because I don’t feel that as a team we deserved them that year, since obviously we didn’t finish first,”

    The source also includes a quoted reaction attributed to David de Gea: Let’s talk. How many Premier titles have I won, then? It does not provide additional context for that comment.

    Why This Matters

    The Manchester City case has implications beyond one club’s potential punishment. The Premier League’s allegations concern whether commercial agreements were structured to increase reported revenue and enable additional spending under financial controls. Any final sporting or financial sanctions could influence how historical titles, player achievements and competitive fairness are viewed.

    The reactions from Roy Keane, Ian Wright and Wayne Rooney also highlight the difference between responsibility at ownership and boardroom level and the position of players who may not have known about alleged financial arrangements. The next significant issue is how the Premier League’s findings translate into sanctions and whether those measures affect Manchester City’s records or past competitions.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What was Manchester City found guilty of?

    According to the source, Manchester City was found guilty of 114 of 115 charges relating to breaches of Premier League financial rules over nine seasons. The allegations included sham commercial agreements and the artificial inflation of club revenue.

    What did Roy Keane say about Manchester City’s medals?

    Roy Keane said he would throw away his medals if he had been a Manchester City player during the period affected by the alleged financial breaches because he considered the club’s success to have involved cheating.

    Would Wayne Rooney accept Manchester United being awarded the 2011–12 title?

    No. Wayne Rooney said he would not feel comfortable accepting another Premier League medal because he did not believe Manchester United had done enough to win the title that season.

  • Official: The Premier Finds Manchester City Guilty “of all charges”

    Official: The Premier Finds Manchester City Guilty “of all charges”

    Key Highlights

    • An independent commission found Manchester City guilty of all 115 charges concerning serious breaches of Premier League financial rules over nine seasons.
    • The commission found that Manchester City used fictitious commercial and financial agreements to inflate revenue and reduce reported costs by more than £900 million.
    • Sanctions will be considered at a separate private hearing, while Manchester City can appeal the findings by Friday, October 2.

    Independent Commission Finds Manchester City Breached Financial Rules

    An independent commission appointed by the Premier League has found Manchester City guilty of all 115 charges relating to serious breaches of the league’s financial regulations over a nine-season period. The commission also upheld most of the allegations that Manchester City failed to cooperate with the Premier League’s investigation.

    The commission, which included legal, financial and other experts, concluded that Manchester City entered into fictitious commercial agreements with several sponsors. According to its findings, the arrangements formed part of a concealed financing structure in which the sponsors paid only a portion of the agreed fees, while the remaining sums were funded by Abu Dhabi United Group Investment & Development Ltd (ADUG), Manchester City’s owner.

    The findings also covered additional fictitious agreements financed by ADUG that enabled Manchester City to report lower operating expenses than it had actually incurred. The commission identified a further fictitious circular agreement with Fordham, an entity that acquired the image rights of Manchester City players and was also financed by ADUG.

    Findings on Revenue, Costs and Financial Reporting

    The commission determined that the arrangements were designed to artificially increase Manchester City’s reported revenue and reduce its reported costs by more than £900 million during the period under review. The purpose, according to the findings, was to make the club appear compliant with financial regulations.

    As a result, Manchester City was found to have submitted false accounts and concealed the true state of its finances from its auditors and football regulators. The commission concluded that, “through its conduct, the club clearly intended to evade Premier League rules”.

    The commission said Manchester City did not accurately declare its income and expenditure under the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Regulations or UEFA’s Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations. Had the relevant agreements been properly recorded, the club would have exceeded both the Premier League’s and UEFA’s spending limits by a considerable margin.

    Manchester City Accused of Obstructing Investigation

    The commission also examined Manchester City’s conduct during the Premier League investigation, which lasted four years. It found that the club repeatedly failed to meet its duties of cooperation and utmost good faith toward the league.

    Three of the four alleged breaches of cooperation were confirmed. The commission concluded that Manchester City had made concerted efforts to stop and obstruct the Premier League’s investigation.

    Sanctions and Appeal Process

    The question of Manchester City’s punishment will be considered separately at a future hearing before the independent commission. Under Premier League rules, that hearing will be private and confidential until publication of the outcome is permitted.

    Manchester City has the right to appeal the commission’s findings and has until Friday, October 2, to do so. The Premier League Board intends for the entire process, including any appeals and publication of the relevant decisions, to be completed as soon as possible.

    Why This Matters

    The findings concern the accuracy of Manchester City’s reported sponsorship income, operating costs and overall financial position under both Premier League and UEFA regulations. They also establish that the club’s cooperation with the league’s investigation will form part of the disciplinary process, alongside the underlying financial allegations.

    No sanction has yet been announced. The eventual outcome will depend on the separate hearing and any appeal proceedings, meaning the case remains subject to further stages before the full process is concluded.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How many charges did Manchester City face?

    Manchester City faced 115 charges related to serious breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules over nine seasons. The independent commission found the club guilty on all 115 financial charges and upheld three of the four alleged breaches relating to cooperation with the investigation.

    What did the commission say Manchester City’s financial arrangements involved?

    The commission found that Manchester City used fictitious commercial and other agreements, with funding from Abu Dhabi United Group Investment & Development Ltd, to inflate reported revenue and reduce reported costs by more than £900 million.

    When will Manchester City’s punishment be decided?

    Sanctions will be addressed at a separate private hearing before the independent commission. Manchester City can appeal the findings by Friday, October 2, and the Premier League Board wants the process, including appeals and publication of decisions, completed as soon as possible.