Roy Keane attacks Manchester City after Premier League verdict

Roy Keane has delivered a blunt response to Manchester City’s Premier League financial verdict, saying the club “chose to cheat” and must face punishment. City was found guilty of 114 of the 115 financial-rule breaches brought against it, a decision that has intensified debate over the club’s achievements and the effect of its conduct on the rest of English football.

Keane spoke on ITV before England’s Nations League meeting with Spain. His comments directly challenged Rodri, the former City midfielder who defended the team’s success after the verdict. Rodri, now playing for Barcelona, said that what City had accomplished could not be taken away and was the result of effort and constant unity rather than something bought with money.

“It was long overdue. This has clearly been going on for a long time,” Keane said. He rejected Rodri’s defence and placed responsibility on the club itself. “It was the club’s choice: they chose to cheat,” the former Manchester United captain added. Keane then argued that City should be sanctioned regardless of the titles it won during the period under investigation.

The former United midfielder also stressed the scale of the finding. “Whatever titles they have won in recent years, they deserve to be sanctioned,” he said. He described the number of findings against City as shocking and said the club would now have to accept the consequences of being found guilty on such a large number of charges.

Ian Wright supported Keane’s position during the same discussion. The former Arsenal striker focused on the clubs and players who competed against City while following the rules. He said City may have shared memorable moments as a team, but those achievements had to be considered alongside the effect on opponents who were trying to succeed within the regulations.

Wright argued that the issue was not limited to City’s own dressing room or supporters. The clubs chasing City in the Premier League may have been denied opportunities while competing against a team that has now been found guilty of extensive financial violations. He said that other players had been deprived of similar moments, linking the case to the wider competitive history of the league.

The charges cover the period from 2009 to 2018. The possible consequences include a points deduction and the removal of some of City’s titles from that era. Exclusion from the Premier League has also been raised as a possible sanction, although it has been described as unlikely. The final punishment has not been announced, so the verdict has not yet settled the consequences for the club’s honours or league position in historical records.

The case could also create financial disputes between City and other Premier League clubs. Several top-flight teams are reportedly seeking compensation for the impact they believe the breaches had on them, while the club’s chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, has reminded supporters that the proceedings are not finished. City therefore faces a period in which its sporting record, finances and standing in the competition may all be examined again.