Manchester United legend Roy Keane believes Manchester City should face punishment after being found guilty of 114 charges relating to the Premier League’s financial regulations.
It was revealed on Friday by The Athletic that City have been found guilty on all but one of the 115 charges, although the sanctions have yet to be determined.
Former Man United captain Keane believes Man City knowingly crossed the line and should now face the consequences of their actions.
He said (via ITV Sport): “Well it’s about time [the decision was made]. It’s obviously been going on for 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.”
The Premier League must set a benchmark
The Premier League cannot afford to hand City a token punishment and allow the club to emerge from the case with little more than a slap on the wrist.
A fine accompanied by a suspended transfer ban would arguably fall short of what is required and could send the wrong message to other clubs considering breaching financial regulations.
City were charged following an investigation into alleged breaches between 2009 and 2018.
The club has continued to contest the charges, unlike Chelsea, who received a relatively light punishment after cooperating with the investigation.
Keane is absolutely spot on with his statements.
There is no denying that City developed into one of the most dominant sides in English football over the last decade.
They have won eight Premier League titles, four FA Cups, seven League Cups and one Champions League under the ownership of Sheikh Mansour.
One of the most dramatic potential outcomes would be for City to have some of those honours stripped, although that appears to be a highly unlikely scenario.
Removing their titles would not simply affect City but it would also leave a permanent mark on the history of the Premier League.
Another possibility is a substantial points deduction, which could have far more immediate consequences for the club.
The Premier League does not have the power to officially relegate City to the Championship through a disciplinary ruling, but a sufficiently heavy points deduction could leave them fighting for survival.
For now, every scenario remains on the table, and the case is far from over.
City will have the opportunity to appeal, meaning the final outcome could still take several more weeks or even months to emerge.
