Wayne Rooney has stated that Manchester United should not be awarded Premier League titles if Manchester City are stripped of them as punishment for breaching financial regulations. The legendary striker, who scored 253 goals in 559 appearances for the club, believes accepting a medal for finishing second would be uncomfortable and undeserved.
Manchester City were found guilty of the majority of the 115 charges brought against them by the Premier League. According to , the club was found guilty of 114 of the 115 alleged breaches. The charges relate to a period spanning 2009-10 to 2017-18, and the club also faced accusations of failing to cooperate with Premier League investigations between December 2018 and February 2023.
Sanctions have not yet been announced, and Manchester City has indicated its intention to appeal the decision. One potential punishment could involve stripping the club of top-flight titles. Since Sheikh Mansour's takeover in 2009, City have won the Premier League eight times, with three of those victories occurring during the period when they were accused of breaking financial rules.
Rooney was part of the United squad that finished as runners-up to City in the 2011-12 season. According to Yahoo Sports, the title race slipped away after United were six or seven points clear with four or five games remaining. However, Rooney has made clear he would not want to be awarded the title retrospectively.
Why Rooney opposes retrospective medals
Speaking on the Stick to United podcast, Rooney explained his position with considerable clarity.
I wouldn't feel comfortable about accepting another Premier League medal if I'm being honest, because I don't think we deserve it. We didn't do enough that season to win the league.
Rooney emphasised the perspective of City's players, who believed they had legitimately won the competition.
I'm thinking as their players, they're there doing everything they can to win the Premier League title and in their minds they've done it. And, if those players have got no understanding of what's going on above them, then if that happened to me - if all of a sudden Manchester United have been doing the same and I'm getting my Premier League medals taken away from me - I'd be absolutely devastated.
He stressed that accepting a medal for finishing second would feel wrong, regardless of the circumstances.
The question is, would I want to receive that medal for finishing second? No. Some players might. I just wouldn't feel comfortable for accepting a Premier League medal for finishing second.
When asked about his existing medal collection, Rooney noted:
When I've heard of ex-team-mates and people saying, 'we've won another medal', I'm happy with the five I've won. I wouldn't want this one just sat there... 15 years later or whatever it was you get a medal because City cheated. I wouldn't feel comfortable.
What punishment does Rooney believe City deserves?
While Rooney opposes titles being taken away from City and awarded to other clubs, he believes the punishment should be severe. The 40-year-old former striker predicted that City would face relegation.
I do think we're going to see City getting relegated. However that happens I don't know but I think we're going to see them get relegated.
Rooney outlined a comprehensive punishment strategy that would extend beyond a single season in a lower division.
I'd put them in the lowest league they can go in and then put restrictions on them in terms of how much money they can spend for the next three or four seasons. If you're just putting them in the Championship, and I get that's a massive punishment, they're going to come back up. Where, I feel if they have got restrictions... League Two, whatever... that could be very difficult for them.
He suggested that financial restrictions would be more effective than a temporary demotion.
For instance, if they got a 20-point deduction for the next three years then players won't want to stay there. If it's Championship for a season, you could talk players round. I'd go as big as I can really.
Other high-profile reactions to the verdict
Rooney's former United teammates Rio Ferdinand and David de Gea both posted on social media after the guilty verdict emerged, suggesting they should be awarded retrospective title wins. Former Stoke City manager Tony Pulis also expressed his feelings, stating he felt cheated after his side were beaten by City in the 2011 FA Cup final.
Former Tottenham and Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has characterised the situation as a period of systemic unfairness.
We have lived through a period of deception.
Pochettino, who managed three Premier League clubs during the period covered by City's charges—spending 15 months at Southampton, five years at Tottenham, and one season with Chelsea—reflected on the broader implications.
Whatever punishment [they choose], it's impossible to turn back time. It's done a lot of damage. Many clubs followed the rules and some didn't.
He questioned the effectiveness of potential sanctions.
Maybe they thought that the punishment [wouldn't come for a lot of years] - what are they going to do? An economic punishment? Docking points? It's really hard.
Pochettino expressed frustration about the competitive disadvantage faced by clubs that adhered to regulations.
It is a huge sadness. We get into a situation where what got celebrated wasn't that real, what seemed good maybe wasn't so good, what didn't look good maybe was good but couldn't be good because of what happened. We went through something where sporting fairness didn't exist. So, how do you repair everything that was damaged because of that, if it's true all of the 114 rules that were broken, we've lived through a period of deception.
Earlier this month, Pochettino had argued that Chelsea should be stripped of the 2016-17 Premier League title after being found guilty of historical rule breaches, with the title being awarded to his Tottenham side, who finished runners-up.
Pochettino also questioned the regulatory oversight that allowed City's alleged breaches to occur.
Where were the controls? That's what gets my attention. Where were the controls?
He highlighted his own experience of strict financial compliance at Tottenham.
If I remember being at Southampton, then Tottenham - I remember building [the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium] and not having the economic possibility of a transfer for 18 months. I think we were the only team in the history of the Premier League with 18 months without [making a transfer]. Tottenham was fighting for titles with those above us and every year in the top four, getting to the semi-finals of the Champions League without being able to do a transfer for 18 months, all because we needed to get used to the [Premier League financial controls]? They were so strict with us but also so lenient with others. Because of that, that's why I say: it's all very strange.
The investigation and charges
Manchester City were charged by the Premier League in February 2023 following a four-year investigation. The club was referred to an independent commission, which conducted a behind-closed-doors hearing beginning in September 2024. According to , the independent commission's hearing ran from 16 September to 6 December 2024.
Sources have told a national broadcaster that other top-flight clubs are seeking legal advice over possible compensation claims following the decision against City.
What happens next
Manchester City is expected to appeal the verdict. According to a major news outlet, any appeal must be lodged within 14 days of the decision being announced under the Premier League rulebook.
The Premier League's regulations allow sanctions including fines, points deductions, suspension, or expulsion from the competition. If the appeal fails, the independent panel is expected to determine the sanction. According to , the appeal could delay sanctions, and the sanction hearing could still be months away, meaning the case may remain unresolved through the current season.
