How football reacted to Manchester City’s cheating scandal
How football reacted to Manchester City’s cheating scandal
Jack de MenezesTue, September 29, 2026 at 11:06 PM UTC
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Roy Keane offered a damning verdict after City’s charges were confirmed - ITV
Manchester City’s Premier League-winning players have been told to “stick those medals in the bin” after the club were found guilty of a near-£1bn cheating scheme.
The Premier League published the independent panel’s 40-page findings after a three-year investigation into City’s charges, which documented how the club’s owners funnelled money into accounts through inflated sponsorship and image-rights channels.
The release sent shockwaves across football as the revelations were digested, triggering widespread condemnation of what had occurred at the eight-time Premier League champions across a 15-year period.
Roy Keane: Medals in the bin
“They knew it would hurt a lot of people but they still [did] it and if I was a player that had that success over the last few years – which we’ve given lots of praise and credit for – if I was a player I would 100 per cent be sticking those medals in the bin.
“100 per cent of course you would [feel let down]. It’s cheating.
“You hear nonsense from ex-players that it was won on the pitch. It was cheating. It was cheating going on.
“It’s tough for the players, the manager. The trust or the belief in the football club, what they stand for when you’ve got owners who are quite happy cheating. It’s very difficult for these players going forward to maintain a level of excellence that they’ve been…”
Ian Wright: Players and fans believed them
“They told the players, the players and the fans all believed them and tried to stand behind the club. They told them that there’s nothing going on and now is it 115 or 114? So if you are a player something’s not right with it and you think it’s not right.
“It’s very unprecedented and sad for everybody. But in respect of the owners and what they’ve done, terrible.”
Wright added: “Unprecedented punishment is required here. It’s a massive day for the Premier League.
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“Very messy. It’s a problem for them to be going to Liverpool [in their next fixture]. In their real time, Liverpool were the team chasing them down. Look at what Jürgen Klopp went through to break them – it probably broke him.”
David Bernstein: City cannot remain in Premier League
“It is damning beyond belief. I don’t think I’ve seen anything like this; I don’t think any of us have in our lifetimes.
“I’m a supporter of 70 years, so I feel this very, very personally. I don’t think the club can remain in the Premier League.
“There’s a school of thought with lawyers that is deny, deny, deny, but this is a football club that is part of a league and the whole credibility of the league is at stake here.
“I would go as far [to stay it is a deep-seated form of fraud] and if it is, I’m not a lawyer but as a thought this is something so serious that it goes beyond the football authorities.
“The sanctions cannot just be financial, so it’s got to be way beyond that. If the appeal fails, Manchester City cannot stay in the league, they have to suffer. And I say that as a supporter and a fan.”
England: We cannot comment
When Thomas Tuchel was asked for his reaction to the City revelations following England’s 2-0 victory over the Czech Republic on Tuesday night, a Football Association spokesman intervened and said: “It’s a legal matter that we’re not going to comment on.”
Thomas Tuchel was not allowed to comment on the matter - Getty Images/Gabriel Kuchta
Harry Kane, the England captain, added: “I’ve just literally found out now it was official until after the game so it’s not for me to comment on now, I need to understand more of the information. But I understand it’s a big topic now and you can’t shy away from it. As I always say, when I’m with England it’s all about England and that’s what I’m focused on.”
Manchester City: We are innocent
In response to the findings, Manchester City said the club “is innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League”. Ferran Soriano, the chief executive of the City Football Group, confirmed their intention to appeal by this Friday’s deadline.
Soriano also told staff members in an internal video that City would exhaust all legal avenues to clear their name, including taking action against anyone who damaged their reputation.
Source: “AOL Sports”
