Manchester City have been found guilty of 114 of the 115 charges of breaching financial rules although an official statement and confirmation of punishment have yet to be received
Rio Ferdinand, Rodri and Andy Robertson
Rio Ferdinand, Rodri and Andy Robertson are among the Premier League players past and present to speak about Man City's 115 charges verdict(Image: Getty Images)
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Manchester City were rocked on Friday as news broke about their long-running battle with the Premier League. Out of 115 charges of breaching financial rules brought forward in February 2023, the Blues have been found guilty of 114. No punishment for the Blues has yet been decided and an official statement from the Premier League has not been released.
A City spokesperson told MEN Sport: "The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality. As such, Manchester City FC’s position remains consistent with the club’s statement of February 2023.
"The club has diligently respected due process for eight years on the basis the Premier League board and executive would behave as an independent, impartial and fair-minded regulator, free from partisan influence." In 2023, City insisted they were 'surprised' by the charges and 'welcomed the review of this matter by an independent commission, to impartially consider the comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence that exists in support of its position.'
Despite the process still being ongoing, Premier League players past and present have weighed in on the saga. One of the first to respond was Rio Ferdinand. The former Manchester United defender tweeted: "Another Premier League medal to be added to the cabinet."
He followed that up with a series of tweets insisting that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Jose Mourinho should be given a medal. He even mocked up an AI image of himself with seven Premier League medals. He concluded: "Seriously, though, Ryan Giggs should have 14 Premier League titles. Come on Premier League."
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David de Gea was also keen for another Premier League winners' medal. The current Fiorentina goalkeeper posted: "So... Let's talk. How many Premier League titles have I won then?"
Similarly to the United favourites, former Liverpool defender Jose Enrique demanded honours from the Premier League. "It's already here!!! Thank you Premier League and send me the medal soon too," he posted on X, accompanied with another AI image - this time of him kissing the Premier League title.
However, Andy Robertson took a more lenient view. In his pre-match press conference with the Scotland squad, the current Tottenham and ex-Liverpool defender said: "I think you can hear the shock in my voice. The case has obviously been going on.
"For me, the [Man City] players showed they were good enough on the pitch. I don’t know too much about the charges. But they had an incredible team, one that I loved battling against.
"I don’t think when it comes to these things that players are ever to blame. That’s all I can focus on."
Unsurprisingly, Rodri was also sympathetic to the Blues when asked about it in his pre-match press conference ahead of Spain's clash with England. "I believe in the justice system and I believe in the innocence of the club," he said. "They always tell us the confidence they have on the innocence. When you look into someone's eyes and [they are] talking that way... And we had the example in 2020 and the process was the same, and in the end, nothing happened.
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"We were very calm in this way. You never saw the team nervous about these kinds of things. Nowadays, I'm not going to say it's going to stay normal, but many teams - or some teams - go through these kind of situations and it's part of football today. And everyone has to follow the rules, and for me, that's great. I always praise the confidence that they never did something wrong, and we believe in that.
"The moment they prove wrong, we will believe the club. I've been there and I know how they work and how they co-operate, so that's what I can tell you."
However, former Aston Villa striker and Arsenal supporter Darren Bent, believes the book should be thrown at City. "When you look at what happened to Juventus, when you look at what happened to Rangers – what did they go down, like four divisions," he said.
"They are going to have to get relegated. They should be relegated to League Two, and a transfer ban for like five years, six years. It’s going to have to be. The Championship is not enough."