Carragher calls for City owners to leave as guilty verdict sparks pundit fury

Manchester City have been found guilty of all but one of the Premier League’s financial misconduct charges, with an Independent Commission ruling the club overstated commercial income by more than £800 million across a nine-season stretch. The club plans to appeal the verdict and maintains its innocence, with sanctions — which could include a fine, points deduction, or other sporting penalties — to be determined at a separate hearing.

The verdict triggered an immediate and heated reaction from the punditry world, with former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher among the most outspoken voices calling for consequences that go beyond the club itself.

“The club are going to get punished,” Carragher said. “For me, this is all about the owners. I don’t know how the owners can continue in English football. We talk about the fit and proper test for owners — what they have done over ten years in the Premier League and this stain that will be there for the next ten years about ‘did they win it really, was that fair?’”

Carragher pointed to internal communications as evidence of a deliberate disregard for the rules. “This all starts with Manchester City and it starts because they do not like the word ‘no’. When the rules came in, it’s in the emails: ‘We can do what we want’.” He added that City’s continued insistence on holding undisclosed exculpatory evidence strained credibility. “If you have irrefutable evidence of something and you are getting charged by the police, you hand it to them because you want this over with as quickly as possible. City have almost dragged this on, kicking the can down the road.”

Micah Richards, a former City defender who has spoken warmly of the club throughout his broadcasting career, was visibly distressed by the findings, describing the reports as deeply troubling.

City CEO Ferran Soriano, in a message to staff, dismissed the core allegation — that commercial income was channelled directly from the club’s ownership — as a conspiracy theory. The club has stated it will pursue all available avenues to clear its name.

Calls for relegation have emerged from some quarters, while others have argued the club’s ownership structure, rather than the institution itself, should face the most severe scrutiny. The sanctions hearing will ultimately determine how English football responds to its most consequential financial misconduct case.