Manchester City and Ian Holloway
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Swindon Town boss Ian Holloway has slammed Manchester City as they await a potential punishment after being found guilty of 114 of their 115 charges from the Premier League.
The 63-year-old is currently in charge of the Robins in League Two, but it has only been 11 years since his last spell in the top-flight as a manager with Crystal Palace, having famously also achieved promotion to English football's top tier with Blackpool back in the 2009/10 season.
The Tangerines have been on quite the journey since their solitary campaign in the Premier League 15 years ago, and not all of it has been positive, but they currently sit 15th in League One after seven games under the Bristolian's former captain, Ian Evatt.
Naturally, there has been plenty of discourse ever since news broke of how the independent commission overseeing the array of the Citizens' charges as to how Enzo Maresca's side may be sanctioned.
Man City
Man City
Ian Holloway slams Man City as Premier League club await potential sanctions
Ian Holloway (2)
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The aforementioned investigation against Man City started in 2023, with it being alleged that the North West club had significantly fallen foul of the division's Financial Fair Play rules between 2009 and 2018.
During this period, the Blues won the Premier League title on three occasions and signed an array of superstar names for big fees, but have also been accused by the governing body of agreeing "sham contracts" and "sham agreements" to increase revenue streams.
The club have since pleaded their innocence against said accusations, but it is fair to say that not many on the outside are buying this particular stance.
Former Stoke City boss, Tony Pulis, revealed that he felt "cheated" as a result of City's 1-0 win over the Potters in the 2011 FA Cup final, and after Blackpool were relegated by just one point in the same year, it is clear that Holloway is of the same viewpoint.
"You're (Man City) a disgrace," he stated. "You've tarred it so badly.
"I lost (with Blackpool) because we weren't quite good enough. We weren't quite good enough because a team was allowed to cheat, and if you didn't know they were cheating, I'm sorry, you've turned a blind eye to that.
2010/11 Premier League table
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"For me, it's all too late now," Holloway added. "I would absolutely take everything away from every single one of them and make them start again. Right now.
"It's a disgrace and they're still not owning up to it. What type of people do they want to actually be? Is that Pep (Guardiola)? Did he know it was happening? No, I don't think he knew that," he debated.
"It's the people at the very, very top who are trying to cheat this game and I would throw them out. Why have they still got the company? Why do they still own it? Why do they still do that? Get lost.
"How dare you ruin what's part of our DNA in this country, without a shadow of a doubt. Every one of us, mining villages, why it all started, who knows? but it's all about a team and believing you can be, fairly, better than someone else.
"They've gone and ruined it right at the top of the game. Absolute disgrace."
Blackpool fell on hard times after 2011 Premier League relegation
Blackpool fans protest against Oystons
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After falling agonisingly short of retaining their top-flight status, Blackpool would fall on hard times later in the 2010s after failing to earn promotion at the first attempt, losing the Championship play-off final to West Ham United.
The Seasiders were then relegated in back-to-back seasons from the second tier to League Two, whilst supporters at Bloomfield Road frequently boycotted matches in protest of how the Oyston family ran the club.
After lasting one season in the fourth tier, Blackpool were put into receivership in February 2019, forcing Owen Oyston to pay £25m to former director, Valeri Bolokon, before the club was eventually sold to Simon Sadler for approximately £10m four months later.
Since then, the Lancashire side have spent the majority of time in League One, but were in the Championship for two campaigns after defeating Lincoln City in the 2020/21 play-off final.
Will Ian Holloway's wishful Man City punishment come to fruition?
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At this stage, it remains to be seen what punishment Man City will face, as the investigation process has since been drawn out even longer through the club's appeal.
Holloway, though, is not the only manager who has been quizzed on matters at the Etihad Stadium with the majority of clubs now returning to league action after a three-week international break.
He will, undoubtedly, be hoping that his opinion on the matter is what comes to fruition, as likely or unlikely as it may be, but it won't be the experienced figure's main focus, as his current employers, Swindon, are sat 13th in League Two after seven games played.