Roy Keane has called for Manchester City to face severe punishment after the club was found guilty of the vast majority of the 115 Premier League charges brought against them.
The former Manchester United captain rejected Rodri’s suggestion that City’s titles and trophies remained deserved, saying the club had chosen to cheat and would now have to “take their medicine”.
“It’s about time,” Keane said on ITV. “It has obviously been going on a long time now. I would disagree with Rodri’s messages there. It was the club’s choice – they chose to cheat.
“Whatever they have won over the last few years, they deserve to be punished. Where we start and finish with that is difficult but they were cheating. They’ve been found guilty of it and they have to take their medicine now. It was a shock to be found guilty of so many of the charges.”
Manchester City deny wrongdoing and are preparing to appeal the decision. Expulsion from the Premier League and the removal of titles are among the potential sanctions available following the ruling.
City have won 26 trophies since the Abu Dhabi takeover in 2008, including eight Premier League titles, four FA Cups and the Champions League, which formed part of their Treble-winning 2023 season.
Ian Wright also said the club should receive a severe punishment, arguing that rival teams and players had lost opportunities while City enjoyed their success.
“They should be punished for it,” Wright said. “They may have been able to experience those memories and all those great times together but when you look at the teams chasing them who were doing it right, it’s not right.
“What have we taken from Liverpool and Klopp’s legacy, and that team? What could they have experienced? They cheated to get it done and other players have missed out on that.”
City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak told supporters that the club remained confident it would clear its name. He said the Premier League’s process “still has a long way to run” and that City’s confidence in proving their innocence was as strong as it had been when the case began.
“We have faced challenges before and prevailed,” Al Mubarak added.
The ruling is also expected to prompt legal claims from Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester United, who formally reserved the right to take action if City were found guilty.
Representatives of the clubs have begun assessing potential losses, including income they believe was missed because of City’s alleged conduct. The combined claims could reach as much as £800 million, while Tottenham are thought to be among those seeking the largest sum after missing out on Champions League qualification on several occasions.
