Manchester City and an era under suspicion: what of its titles? | OneFootball

The recent history of the Premier League could enter a zone of uncertainty. Manchester City’s titles, the careers of players who finished second, and some of the most memorable moments in English football are under scrutiny as the process over allegations of financial rule breaches against the club moves forward.

City faces a particularly delicate situation after reports emerged that it could be found guilty of 114 of the 115 charges related to Premier League financial rules during the period between 2009 and 2018. The club has consistently denied the accusations and is expected to appeal any unfavorable ruling.

Liverpool and Manchester United, the main teams affected in the title race

There are two seasons that perfectly illustrate the scale of the debate: 2013-14 and 2017-18.

In 2013-14, Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool came very close to winning the Premier League with Steven Gerrard as captain. The midfielder’s famous slip against Chelsea ended up becoming one of the most remembered moments of that title race, which ultimately ended with City lifting the trophy.

Four years later, José Mourinho’s Manchester United finished second, a considerable distance behind the champions. The Portuguese manager went so far as to describe that second-place finish as one of the greatest achievements of his career because of the gap in resources and performance between the two teams.

In both cases, City ended up lifting the trophy.

The case that could change the perception of an era

The financial case has brought those championships back into question.

That does not mean the titles have automatically been stripped, nor that the teams who finished second have been declared champions. Any sanction would have to be determined by the relevant authorities, and City would have the right to appeal.

However, an adverse ruling could open a historic debate about the impact the alleged breaches had on the building of one of the most dominant teams in the competition’s history.

The Premier League has for years maintained an independent process around the charges, while Manchester City has defended its position and rejected the allegations.

Gerrard, Mourinho, Ferdinand and De Gea returned to the debate

The possible ruling also prompted reactions from former figures involved.

Rio Ferdinand, who was part of the Manchester United side that lost the 2011-12 title to City on goal difference, reacted with an ironic reference to a possible extra medal.

David de Gea, who finished second with United in 2012 and 2018, also posted a message on social media questioning how many Premier League titles he would have if the consequences of the process altered the historical record.

These are reactions that reflect a question that goes beyond a financial penalty: what happens to those who competed directly against City during the years under investigation?

Arsenal also appears in the story

The impact of City’s rise was not limited to title races.

During the early years of Abu Dhabi ownership, Arsenal lost several important players to the Manchester club. Kolo Touré, Emmanuel Adebayor, Bacary Sagna, Gaël Clichy and Samir Nasri were among the footballers who left the Emirates to wear sky blue between 2009 and 2018.

Those moves were part of City’s transformation from a club that had gone decades without winning major trophies into a permanent force in English football.

The future could be even more important than the past

The consequences of any eventual sanction have not yet been defined. Among the possibilities mentioned during the process are fines, points deductions and other sporting measures, although there is still no final sanction that allows anyone to say with certainty what the outcome will be.

In addition, some rival clubs have reserved the right to claim possible financial losses if it is determined that the breaches had consequences for competitions, revenues or European qualification.

That is why the true scope of the case could go far beyond punishment for Manchester City.

The discussion is no longer limited to how many titles the club won during those years. It also raises the question of what impact the alleged irregularities had on the rivals who competed against it and on a Premier League that changed radically during that era.

The story has not yet been written. And while the process continues, those championships officially remain in Manchester City’s trophy cabinet.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.