Roy Keane: Man City Players Should Bin Medals Amidst Financial Rule Breach Verdict
Former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane believes Manchester City players should discard their trophies if found guilty of financial rule breaches, citing the period of alleged 'cheating' by the club's owners.
Roy Keane, the Manchester United legend, has stated that he would discard his medals if he were a Manchester City player, following the Premier League's verdict that the club committed numerous financial rule breaches over a nine-season period. Keane expressed concerns about the current squad's ability to maintain peak performance under manager Enzo Maresca while operating under the shadow of alleged owner misconduct.
The Premier League has accused Manchester City of establishing 'sham' agreements to manipulate financial accounts, amounting to approximately £900 million over nine seasons during which the club secured eight trophies. Keane, speaking to ITV Sport, suggested that the owners' actions would make it difficult for the team to sustain excellence.
"If I was a player, I'd be 100 per cent sticking those medals in the bin. Of course you would, it's cheating," Keane stated. "They won it on the pitch because cheating was going on."
Ian Wright, also commenting on the situation, echoed concerns about the unprecedented nature of the charges and their impact on the sport. He noted the potential difficulties for players and the club in maintaining integrity.
Daily Mail Sport reported that Manchester City were found guilty of 114 out of 115 charges. The Premier League confirmed in a statement that the club had arranged "sham contracts" that misrepresented agreements with commercial partners, artificially inflating revenues and reducing costs. These alleged actions allowed City to misstate their finances to auditors and regulators, thereby potentially exceeding spending limits imposed by the Premier League and UEFA between 2009 and 2018.
The panel also found that Manchester City failed to cooperate with the Premier League's four-year investigation, which was reportedly initiated after hacked club emails surfaced. The club is accused of making "concerted efforts to stop and frustrate the PL investigation."
Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters described the decision as "the most significant in Premier League history" and stated it vindicated the league's decision to pursue the charges. He emphasized the league's responsibility to uphold rules to protect the competition's integrity and ensure fairness for all clubs and fans. Masters indicated that the league is committed to proceeding swiftly with the remaining elements of the process, including determining the appropriate sanction.
In response, Manchester City released a statement expressing disappointment and surprise, asserting their innocence and claiming to possess "a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence" to support their positions. The club indicated it would "relentless" and "proactive" in pursuing appeal avenues, citing "clear material errors, of law, principle and fact" in the commission's opinion.
Manchester City were initially charged with 115 breaches in February 2023, a figure later corrected to 130. These charges relate to failures in providing accurate financial information, player and manager compensation reporting, compliance with UEFA regulations, and breaching Premier League profit and sustainability rules between 2009 and 2018. The charges also include 35 counts of failing to cooperate with Premier League investigations between 2018 and 2023. The hearing for these breaches began in September.