Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) - The day after the Premier League announced Manchester City's guilt on numerous charges of violating financial rules, on the streets of the English city some citizens expressed shock and dismay on Wednesday, with some calling for the club to be relegated.

First modification: 09/30/2026 - 15:38

Under investigation since 2023, an independent commission eventually concluded that the Abu Dhabi-backed club had arranged "fake" contracts with various commercial partners to artificially inflate its income and cut costs by more than £900 million ($1.2 billion) between 2009 and 2018.

"It's a shame for football. Football is a very big sport and we can't have stories like that," said Karem Fagega, a 21-year-old student in the northwestern English city, shaking his head in disbelief at the fall of "such a good team."

"They have the money to do everything right, but they decided to do everything wrong. So I was pretty shocked when I found out," said Sabrina Lodi, a 33-year-old account manager, after the news broke Tuesday night.

He added, however, that in his opinion Manchester City "is not the only one doing it in the whole world", but rather they are "the only ones who have been caught."

For Connor Emery, a 25-year-old retail worker, the "devastating" verdict came as a surprise. "I can't believe it, honestly. I never thought the club would get in trouble for anything," he said, admitting that he hoped the scandal would be "swept under the rug."

"Throw the medals in the trash"

Asked about the possible consequences for the club, some said they wanted relegation, but hoped the club would avoid it.

Sports Minister Lisa Nandy warned that "the maximum penalty is actually very serious" and that a club "can be expelled from the Premier League."

"Personally I think it should be a relegation," said Corey, an 18-year-old student, but the outcome "depends on what the Premier League has planned."

"I would want a relegation, probably a points deduction to get them downgraded," Emery said, but he was skeptical that would happen, adding with a shrug: "It'll probably be a fine, let's be honest."

In the first reactions from people close to the club, former City defender Micah Richards said on The Rest is Football podcast that he was "absolutely devastated" by the revelations about the club he started playing for when he was 14.

"I feel sad. I feel angry. I feel a bit confused," he added, alluding to the lack of information and conflicting accounts after the club's chief executive, Ferran Soriano, denounced the verdict as a "Premier League conspiracy theory" and insisted the club would be "vindicated".

Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane said that if he were a City player he would throw away all the medals. "They knew it would hurt a lot of people, but they still did it and, if I were a player, I would 100% be throwing those medals in the trash," he told ITV.

© 2026 AFP

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