Premier League ‘dragged through the mud’ by Man City case – Gary Neville
The Premier League has been “dragged through the mud” by the Manchester City guilty verdict, Gary Neville has said.
An independent commission found City guilty on all charges related to breaching Premier League financial rules, concluding they “clearly intended to circumvent” the regulations over a period of nine seasons, primarily by disguising owner funding as sponsorship revenue.
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has called on the club’s owner Sheikh Mansour to sell up, while former Manchester United full-back Neville believes the reputation of the whole league has been affected.
“To listen to this, it is chilling,” he said on the Stick To Football podcast.
“We always think that we’ve got an enormous integrity, the Premier League, that we are the sort of league that sets the standard, and that it’s other leagues that have got corruption, fraud, doping scandals, match-fixing, referee scandals.
“This is now coming to our country. This is now coming to our league. This is the greatest export that we have in our country. At the moment we’re being dragged through the mud.”
City were found to have inflated revenue and hid costs to the tune of more than £900 million across the nine-season period, and in doing so avoided breaching Premier League and UEFA spending limits.
They have indicated their intention to appeal against the commission’s decision, saying it “contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact, and is unsafe”.
City said “a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of all (the club’s) positions”.
Neville described the “irrefutable evidence” remark as “bizarre”, adding: “It was a bit Trump-esque, wasn’t it?”
Carragher said there can be no future for any City executives implicated in the scandal.
Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Carragher said: “Manchester City are at the end of their Abu Dhabi era. The club can only heal and recover from the shame of their guilt once the custodians recognise they have failed in their duty and sell up.
“There is no way to sugar-coat this. The scale of the institutional cheating and lack of co-operation in the investigation means the position of all City executives involved is untenable.
“Fighting on will only prolong the agony of supporters who wrongly believe their pleas of innocence.”
Carragher’s views were in contrast to those of Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who said on Wednesday he would be “concerned” to lose the Abu Dhabi group as owners.
“They’ve been such a huge partner in the building of modern Manchester. Obviously, the building of Manchester City into the global force that it is,” Burnham told the BBC.
Burnham’s comments came after David Kogan, chair of the Independent Football Regulator (IFR), said the ruling “raises serious issues” and pointed out the body has the power to assess the suitability of club owners and executives once proceedings come to a close.
The club have the support of former manager Pep Guardiola, who won six Premier League titles with City before leaving at the end of last season.
Guardiola wrote on social media: “I want every single @ManCity fan to know I am here; more than ever.
“I am, always have been, always will, be behind my club, my owner, my chairman, Ferran, the players, staff, Enzo and you, our unique supporters.
“Let me be clear: we will get through this together. I love you all.”
City sponsor Etihad Airways warned it will “seek the relevant legal counsel on the options and recourse available to protect its interests” and said it still stood with the club.
The state-owned Abu Dhabi airline added in a statement: “Etihad categorically rejects any finding, conclusion or implication that suggests the airline has ever been involved in improper commercial arrangements.
“The Premier League’s public communication of the commission’s findings, following a period of selective leaks and reporting, has further created damaging implications for Etihad despite the airline not being named in the redacted published findings.”
Another City sponsor, drinks manufacturer the Asahi Group, issued a statement to the Press Association on Thursday morning which read: “We are aware of the findings published by the Premier League on September 29, 2026 and Manchester City’s subsequent statement confirming its intention to appeal.
“We are continuing to monitor developments and have no further comment at this stage. Asahi Super Dry became a partner of the City Football Group which includes Manchester City in July 2022.”
Published: by Radio NewsHub