“If I’m being honest…”: Wayne Rooney weighs in on more PL winners’ medals after Man City verdict
· Yahoo Sports
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Former Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney has had his say on the possibility of gaining more Premier League titles, with Manchester City at serious risk of being stripped of their accolades.
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“Sham” club
In a major revelation last week, David Ornstein of The Athletic reported that an independent commission had ruled City guilty on nearly all counts of breaching the Premier League’s financial regulations. There has since been a significant development.
On Tuesday, the Premier League released a statement, confirming that City have indeed been found guilty of all the charges. It is said that City arranged “sham contracts” with multiple commercial partners as part of a deliberate effort to mask secret funding of more than £830 million.
An independent commission found that between 2009 and 2018, City “relied on sham agreements to artificially inflate the club’s revenues and reduce its costs.” City were also found guilty of concealing their true finances through their accounts and of failing to cooperate with the league, with three of four breaches upheld.
Additionally, Enzo Maresca’s side significantly breached both the Premier League’s and UEFA’s spending limits. The redacted version of the commission’s report stated “well over 100” breaches of Premier League regulations.
City have until Friday, 2 October, to appeal the decision. The Premier League note that sanctions will be addressed in a further hearing with the independent commission.
Some of the punishments that have been mooted over the past few days include hefty points deductions, transfer bans, heavy fines, expulsion from the Premier League and stripping of titles won during the period in question.
A number of former United players have taken pleasure in City’s predicament, joking about the addition of titles to their records. David De Gea directed a quip at the Etihad club, with Rio Ferdinand doing likewise.
Juan Mata got in on the act too, suggesting with tongue firmly in cheek that he may have won the Premier League after all. However, Rooney has made it clear that he would not be comfortable with the addition of more titles to his name.
Rooney’s view
United’s record goalscorer said on the Stick to United podcast, “I have heard Rio come out saying about getting another Premier League medal … I wouldn’t really feel comfortable accepting another Premier League medal, if I’m being honest.”
“I don’t think we deserve it, we didn’t do enough that season to win the league. I think we were six or seven points clear with four or five games to go and we threw it away.”
“I’ve seen everything that has come out over the past few days and listening to people and I was putting myself in a Man City player’s shoes …”
“They are doing everything to win a Premier League title and in their minds, they have done it, they have won the Premier League title.”
“If there was a medal, I wouldn’t be comfortable taking it. I would be comfortable with it being taken off them, but I wouldn’t be comfortable accepting a medal for finishing second.”
In 559 United appearances between 2004 and 2017, Rooney scored 253 goals, assisted 143 and won five Premier League titles.