An independent panel has found Manchester City guilty of 114 breaches of the Premier League's financial rules, and Roy Keane and Ian Wright have both called for the club to be severely punished
Roy Keane speaks with Mark Pougatch
Roy Keane has spoken(Image: Robin Jones, Getty Images)
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Roy Keane and Ian Wright are in agreement that Manchester City should face severe sanctions for 'cheating' their opponents after being found guilty of 114 breaches of the Premier League's financial regulations. Following a protracted three-year saga, an independent panel ruled City guilty of all bar one of the 115 charges brought against them by English top flight officials on Friday evening.
While City are set to challenge the ruling, having consistently maintained their innocence, the footballing community was thrown into turmoil by the bombshell announcement, with players, pundits and supporters all weighing in. Underlining the scale of the controversy, Rodri devoted a substantial portion of his Nations League press conference for Spain addressing queries about his former club's alleged misconduct.
Now, Premier League icons Keane and Wright have delivered their assessment on the matter. Speaking during ITV's coverage of the Nations League encounter between England and Spain at Wembley alongside Mark Pougatch and Juan Mata, Keane said: "Well it's about time [the decision was made].
"It's obviously been going on a long time now and I certainly would disagree with Rodri's messages there. It was the choice of the club, they chose to cheat, and whatever they have won over the last few years, they deserve to be punished.
"Where we start and finish with that, obviously it's difficult. But they were cheating. Been found guilty of it, they have to take their medicine now.
"And it was kind of a shock really to be found guilty of...114 of the charges they were found guilty of? Big news it was."
When asked about how the scandal affects English football's standing, Wright said: "Not very good, not very good. I'm going to be totally honest, Pougs.
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"Going back to Rodri, he's talking about what he's done. He went shoulder to shoulder with the guys, and, of course, you can't take that away from them, they experienced that.
"But they should take that away from them, they should be punished for it. They may have been able to experience those memories and all of those great times together, but then, when you look at all of the teams that were trying to chase them, they were doing it right.
"It's not right, Pougs. What have we taken from Liverpool's legacy, [Jurgen] Klopp and that team? What could they have experienced? Roy's right, they cheated to get it done, and people have missed out on that. Players have missed out on unbelievable opportunities for themselves. I'm glad that we finally got there."
City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak issued an open letter to supporters on Saturday, maintaining the club's innocence despite the ruling. It read: "I have been part of this Club for 18 years.
"I have had the privilege to stand with you in the Etihad, at Wembley, and in Istanbul. This Club matters to me, and you have shown and told me – time and time again - how much Manchester City matters to you. This is why I am writing to you today.
"Following Friday's media reporting, many of you will have spent your evening answering questions and responding to messages from friends, family and colleagues. So have I. Here's what I said to my family: The Premier League process still has a long way to run, and our confidence and intent in proving the Club's innocence is just as strong as when this began.
"There are so many things that I would like to be able to share with you to help you understand why we feel so confident in our position. But the strict confidentiality of the legal process and our determination to respect it means I cannot do that at the moment. Even this letter underwent several legal checks to make sure it complies.
"I ask you to please carefully read the statement below, which we gave on Friday, and the statement we issued in February 2023 (also below). Every word matters and holds true. While some people have been quick to reach their own conclusions, and there is so much noise swirling around us, nothing has changed.
"We have faced challenges together before and have prevailed. There remain many who want to undermine the momentum of our Club. We will not give them that opportunity.
"We have some exciting moments to look forward to after this international break. We travel to Anfield in a fortnight, and then host Paris St Germain in the Champions League back at Etihad Stadium - moments that give us an opportunity to celebrate the strength of the Manchester City family. Thank you, as always, for your constant support."