Steven Gerrard calls for Man City titles to be stripped if club are found guilty
Steven Gerrard calls for Man City titles to be stripped if club are found guilty Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard believes Manchester City should be stripped of their titles if they are found guilty of breaching Premier League financial regulations. Speaking on The Overlap , the former England midfielder called for severe punishment and expressed frustration over the length of time taken to resolve the case. City face more than 100 alleged breaches of Premier League financial rules, with the club denying wrongdoing and maintaining their innocence. Gerrard believes the investigation must reach a conclusion, arguing that the uncertainty has affected clubs, players and supporters across English football. “How long is it going to take before we know whether they’re innocent or whether they’re guilty?” he asked. The former Liverpool captain also suggested that the allegations raised questions about opportunities potentially denied to rival clubs during City’s period of dominance. Gerrard, who never won the Premier League despite coming close with Liverpool, insisted he had no interest in receiving a retrospective winners’ medal. However, he questioned suggestions that City’s achievements should remain untouched because supporters could not be deprived of their memories. “What about the memories they took away from not just possibly me and the team that I played in?” Gerrard said. He stressed that any wrongdoing, if established, could have affected numerous clubs competing for titles, European qualification and domestic honours. Gerrard also argued that City’s players would have legitimate reasons to feel disappointed with the club’s ownership if serious breaches were proven. Despite his criticism, the former midfielder maintained that he respected City’s footballing achievements and the players he faced during his career. Nevertheless, he believes the punishment must reflect the seriousness of any proven offences. “They have to be stripped,” Gerrard declared, drawing comparisons with Juventus losing domestic titles following the Calciopoli scandal in Italy. He argued that removing honours would establish a precedent and discourage similar breaches in the future. “There needs to be an example set historically,” he added. Gerrard’s comments followed City’s impressive performance against Liverpool, which he praised despite his concerns about the ongoing investigation. He described City’s squad as exceptionally strong and singled out Erling Haaland as one of the Premier League’s most formidable forwards. However, Gerrard insisted that sporting excellence should not prevent appropriate sanctions if financial misconduct is established. With the Premier League’s case still unresolved, any potential punishment remains uncertain. For Gerrard, the priority is a definitive ruling followed by consequences proportionate to any breaches ultimately proven.
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