Manchester City’s 115 Charges: The Verdict

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1:40Alan Shearer:Hello and welcome to The Rest is Football with Alan Shearer, Micah Richards and me, Gary Lineker. Before we talk about England, the Premier League has released the findings of the Independent Commission into Manchester City's 115 charges and they make for quite extraordinary reading. The independent commissioners found City guilty on all charges related to the breaches of Premier League financial rules between 2009 and 2018, and all but one of the charges relating to non-cooperation. A damning statement described a decade-long scheme of sham contracts and disguised funding, artificially inflating revenues and reducing costs by£900 million.

2:23Alan Shearer:It found the club knowingly filed misstated accounts and that some key witnesses knowingly gave untrue and dishonest evidence. Manchester City continue to deny any wrongdoing and have stated their intention to appeal before Friday's deadline. The question of sanctions, including potential points deductions or expulsion, is still to be decided. Micah, it's obviously very difficult for you. You're very much associated with City. You won league titles with them and various competitions. How did that news and how did you feel when you read that news? Well, first of all, the reports were troubling.

3:05I saw the words which were used by the Premier League in sham contracts. I felt absolutely devastated. As obviously someone who loves Manchester City, I know we have a laugh and a joke about I sported Arsenal when I was young, but Man City is my club. Being at that club since I was 14 years old, I would die for that club. All the rollercoaster from being in the academy, down at Platte Lane, going all the way through, making it to the first team. I achieved my dream at Manchester City. I did. but then to hear these reports and not only me as an ex-player but the fans what they have to go through absolutely devastating my digs man for those who don't know what a digs is someone who you when you leave home and you go stay and wear it out with me in manchester in gatley he rang me today and he was literally in tears about and asking me about information which i don't know I haven't got the answers to tell him.

4:08And that's someone who supported the club for 60 years, 60 odd years. And the uncertainty around it is just, it's heartbreaking. The words I use are heartbreaking. To have a headline of this nature for a club that I love so much, it's been difficult. If you listen to the reports, what have been said, they are damning. So how do I feel? I feel saddened. I feel angry. I feel a little bit confused because on the other side, you have City's side of the story. I saw the interview that Farhan had and he said they've got evidence to prove that they're innocent, essentially. What a mess.

4:52Gary Lineker:What a complete and utter mess. I go back to what we said at the weekend the ramifications go so far it's unbelievable because where does it stop? Where do the clubs stop? Where do individuals stop? Where do the accolades? I mean there's so much at stake here for football for the Premier League and obviously for Manchester City so yeah it's a complete and utter mess isn't it? I mean, I look at their success. Clearly, they have to wait for the sanctions to come out. Then do they appeal them? I mean, if it all comes out in terms of, yeah, you're done, you're banged to rights, how do they get over?

5:39Gary Lineker:How do they look back? I know the fans have had their memories, but that Aguero moment, you know, that is one of, if not the greatest moment in Premier League history in terms of how it unfolded and what happened on the day. I mean, that's blown apart, that is now, if that's what's going to happen. You know, it's like, that's done. That memory, what we all, I mean, I'm not a City fan and I don't really care, but that for me was one of the iconic moments in Premier League history. When or if City are done or bang to rights, it's finished. Me being in that dressing room and the players have nothing to do with what happens in boardrooms, with decisions on players, with finances and all that sort of stuff.

6:26And the camaraderie that we had in that dressing room now is going to be called into question whether people believe it was legit. And there are no winners in this. If Man City do the appeal and they get off on the appeal, then it's still going to be tarnished. And then if they're found guilty after the appeal, then what happens then? And it's not just Man City fans or Man City players. It's the whole of the Premier League comes into question. That's the bit which this could be something that goes on for years and years and years.

7:06Alan Shearer:At this point, I would say, obviously, a lot of football fans will get some kind of satisfaction out of this. But for me, the people that suffer the most with these things, and I've been part of, you know, Leicester's my team and they got point reductions and proved really costly. And they, you know, they got things wrong and we accepted it. I just wonder if Manchester City would be better off just, I mean, unless, I mean, I saw Ferran's statement where he's, you know, he said we've got irrefutable evidence. Well, if it was irrefutable, that would have been shown before. This is an independent committee that has made this as well.

7:46Alan Shearer:It's not part of the Premier League. It's a separate thing. He also said that, you know, we appealed before against UEFA and we got that overturned, but they got that overturned because it was time-barred. It wasn't necessary to do with any of the evidence. So, you know, with these things, if they've been found guilty, I'm sure they will appeal. I wonder if they'd actually be better off just saying, maybe we got it wrong. We apologise, we take the punishment, we take the sanctions and let's try and move on.

8:18Gary Lineker:Whatever happens has to be done quickly because we can't have a scenario where they're appealing and they're sitting top of the league and there's a chance they could win the league again. Do you know what I mean?

8:27Alan Shearer:I don't know the legal situation in terms of whether they can dish out the punishment regardless of an appeal. But the people that really suffer, I always think as well with these things, is the fans. I mean, the fans will turn defensive now because you do. That's what will happen. You know, they'll say the world's against us. It's all wrong. And I understand that because I had that feeling when Leicester got punished to a degree. This is obviously a much, much, much bigger deal. This is not just slightly overspending. This is said to be, you know, arranging sham contracts with commercial partners to officially inflate revenues and reduce costs, disguise funding schemes.

9:10Alan Shearer:This is scurrilous behaviour. And, you know, whilst the fans will get protective and defensive and you understand that, and they ultimately were the people that suffer from this. But it's a can of worms and it has so many ramifications, not just for Manchester City, but elsewhere as well. If, you know, other clubs that may have just missed out on a league title suddenly go, well, hang on, are they going to sue Manchester City or sue the Premier League? Or who knows what might happen over the next week's months? And, you know, if it's an appeal, I don't know how long that appeal would last. hopefully not as long as it did for this one.

9:53You know what is strange about it though? You know, from a player's point of view, the players that come and go, some players have a great feeling with the fans, don't they? And they loved and they have that chemistry. But because I've been there or because I was there at 14, I genuinely love the club. So I will feel it more than maybe a player that's been there for two or three years. maybe if they've won the Premier League or whatnot. So it's, I can only speak from my point of view. You know, this is how I feel because the club have done so much for me, but there'll be certain players who, I'm not saying don't really care, but don't have that emotion, you know, that I have towards the club.

10:39And that's why it's such a difficult place to be. And it just needs to be sorted out sooner rather than later because the more it drags on,

10:48Alan Shearer:the worse it becomes. The three people on the committee, that's not known. We don't know who they actually are, but obviously they will be people that have, I would imagine, very, very qualified in this position. They are independent from the Premier League. And also I would say Manchester City over the last, what is it, two, three years or even longer, if you go back to the previous cases, would have had the very, very best lawyers that money can buy because obviously they've got exceptional wealth. And then to come out of it and say, well, we've got irrefutable evidence that this is not the case is quite hard to fathom and believe because why wouldn't that evidence, if it was so irrefutable, have been used previously?

11:35Gary Lineker:On all charges.

11:37Alan Shearer:I mean, the Premier League wouldn't have wanted this either. I mean, it's the last thing in the world that you've got to remember that as well. Do you think they really want this scandal, this pickle, this mess that we're in at this point? Of course they wouldn't. But they obviously felt there was wrongdoing. It's now been said that there is wrongdoing. And now we're in a position where unless that is proved wrong in an appeal, then that is the case. If you go to a trial in court and you're found guilty of something, you're guilty. And I suppose the question is now, what happens from here? Let's disregard the fact that there'll probably be an appeal, but what would be a reasonable punishment?

12:18Alan Shearer:I don't, where do you start?

12:20Gary Lineker:You have to also think whether other people knew, you know, I mean, Pep leaving when he did, them stockpiling signings in the summer. I don't know. Whatever way you look at it, you can say, well, yeah, that may be true. I'm not. But there's so many still questions, I guess. But yeah, I don't know. I don't know where you go with this because it's just a terrible look for football, a terrible look for the Premier League. I mean, the punishment could be huge. It could be massive. And if they lose their appeal or whatever they do, then I guess they can't really complain after having that for so long.

12:53Yeah, if they've done wrong, they should get the required punishment without doubt.

12:59Alan Shearer:What's open to the Premier League to do in terms of a punishment? A big points deduction? I've seen lots of people saying things, as you do, on social media, et cetera, and some interesting ones. You know, do you give them a big point reduction and make sure they get relegated? And then they're in the championship. And then what do the championship do with Manchester City? You know, so obviously we have different governing bodies in our game. We've got the Premier League and then we've got the Football League, which is totally different. And how do they handle it? I saw an interesting one that I think, you know, is possibly viable that you could maybe give them a 20 to 25 point reduction for the next five seasons.

13:44Alan Shearer:So they decelerate and they stay in the mid table, which is an interesting one. Obviously, probably a transfer ban for quite some time and a huge fine, which is obviously, that won't make any difference to Manchester City in reality. So, I mean, watch this space really, isn't it?

14:06Gary Lineker:Yeah, absolutely. I mean, there's people at the club who are now at other clubs as well, I guess, which will have questions to answer as well. So, yeah, just a mess and complete and utter mess, which I think needs an end story pretty quickly for the sake of football.

14:26Alan Shearer:Yeah, the one thing I would say, Micah, not in your defence, because none of the footballers would have ever had any kind of idea of any of these shenanigans that were going on. They just want to perform and do their stuff on the pitch and win trophies and do great things.

14:45Gary Lineker:Well, that quality of player might not have been at Manchester City.

14:48Alan Shearer:No, I was about to follow with that particular point and that will be other people's argument. Well, you always slagged me off as a player. I was there. I won a league, man. What are you going to say now?

14:58Gary Lineker:Well, we might be saying you haven't won a league anymore. That's what we might be saying. Hey, no one's taking my Premier League. No one's taking.

15:06Alan Shearer:I think doing that, turning over all the trophies is such a can of worms. And also, so cruel on the players and the fans. So cruel. for you know

15:19Gary Lineker:yeah but and whoever's lost out whether it be Liverpool or whether it be Man United or Arsenal whoever they wouldn't want they wouldn't want that I don't would they do you want to win a title that way not like that but then you also have to think you have to think I mean you go back to Jurgen Klopp and that team that he had when they're missing out with us it's like

15:40Alan Shearer:98 points 99 all that stuff yeah well let's see what happens over the coming days firstly and then the weeks and possibly months. Let's take a break and when we come back we'll talk England and a victory.

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17:33Alan Shearer:Welcome back to The Rest is Football with Micah Richards, Alan Shearer and me, Gary Lineker. Right, let's talk about football, which is much more enjoyable, I think, than the first half. I watched the game and as we did, you know, it was a solid England performance. Obviously, once they went down to 10 men, it became just a matter of time and a walk in the park in many ways. But, who impressed you, Alan?

17:58Gary Lineker:Anthony Gordon impressed me. Trent, I thought it was a brilliant ball game. You know what it's like when you go away to those places. It's tough. You've just got to get in there. You're right. It would have been a better test if he hadn't been sent off. But by and large, I mean, they got caught on the counter-attack a couple of times in the first 15 minutes or so, England. But yeah, I thought you've just got to go there. You win and you get out and you get the three points and you move on. But I thought Anthony Gordon was the pick of the bunch, didn't you?