Manchester United legend Roy Keane has claimed that he would have thrown his medals in the bin if he had been a player at Manchester City.
An independent Premier League commission has found City guilty of serious breaches of the financial rules covering the 2009/10 to 2017/18 seasons.
The commission found that City used “sham” commercial agreements to artificially inflate their revenues and reduce their costs by more than £900 million during the period under investigation.
Keane believes the findings raise serious questions over the legitimacy of City’s success during the period in question.
He said (ITV Sport): “If I was a player at Man City that had the success over the last few years, I will be 100% sticking those medals in the bin.”
When asked whether he would feel let down by the club, Keane responded: “100% of course, it is cheating.”
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters even said that City “systematically broke Premier League rules for nearly a decade.”
The findings were published in a 40-page decision following a four-year Premier League investigation.
Masters also described the disciplinary case and decision as the most significant in Premier League history.
Keane’s comments will certainly resonate with Man United supporters given the fierce rivalry between the two Manchester clubs.
From United’s perspective, it remains to be seen whether the club will pursue any legal action or financial claims connected to the findings.
The wider ramifications for other Premier League clubs are yet to be established, with the process still ongoing and sanctions against City yet to be determined.
Several former City players have defended the achievements of their team-mates and argued that their success was earned through performances on the pitch.
However, that is a false narrative as they assembled a team of superstars only after misrepresenting their financial books.
City are going to appeal against the verdict, but the Premier League must take strong action against the club.
