Former England captain Gary Lineker believes Manchester City should accept responsibility for their Premier League financial breaches and take whatever punishment comes their way, saying such a move could help draw a line under one of the biggest scandals in English football.City were found guilty of all charges relating to breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules over nine seasons from 2009-10 to 2017-18, along with three of four charges concerning their alleged failure to cooperate with the league’s investigation.The independent commission found that City had used what the Premier League described as “sham” commercial contracts to inflate revenue and understate costs by more than £900 million over almost a decade. City have appealed the ruling and continue to insist they are innocent.Speaking at the Leaders Week sports industry conference at Stamford Bridge, Lineker said the saga had damaged both City and English football.“Obviously it looks really bad for Manchester City, it really does. And bad for the game… I’d love to see Man City now just own it and just say, ‘OK, we got it wrong’,” Lineker said.“’But for the good of the game, we’ll accept it, we’ll accept whatever punishment comes our way and we’ll carry on’. I think that would be a blessing and save their face a little bit at the moment, though that doesn’t look very likely.”
‘Who suffers from that?’
City have lodged a comprehensive appeal against the commission’s findings, arguing that the decision contains “clear material errors” of law, principle and fact. The appeal hearing will be private and confidential.Lineker said he would not be surprised if the eventual punishment included the stripping of Premier League titles won during the period under investigation, although he acknowledged the potential impact on supporters and players.“But it is damaging… and I feel for their fans and I feel for their players,” he said.Asked whether City should be stripped of the three Premier League titles they won during the disputed period, Lineker replied: “I wouldn’t be surprised if it goes down that route. But again, ultimately, who suffers from that? The players and the fans.”The Premier League has yet to impose a punishment. Possible sanctions include a reprimand, fine, points deduction or expulsion from the competition, with no club having previously been expelled from England’s top flight.The appeal process is expected to take place within 12 weeks of City’s appeal being filed and cannot last more than five consecutive days. Any sanctions will be dealt with separately by the investigatory panel.The commission’s findings cover a period in which City enjoyed unprecedented success, winning multiple trophies and establishing themselves as one of the dominant clubs in English football.City have maintained their innocence throughout the case, which dates back to 2018, and say they possess “irrefutable evidence” supporting their position.
