Carragher demands Man City owners removed and five-year punishment after £830m cheating verdict

Jamie Carragher has called for Manchester City’s owners to be removed from the club and for any sanction to run across multiple seasons, after an independent commission found City guilty of 114 breaches of Premier League financial rules spanning nine years.

The commission determined that City disguised over £830 million in funding through “sham” contracts between 2009 and 2018. The club continue to protest their innocence and have lodged an appeal, but the panel retains the power to relegate them, impose substantial fines, and enforce transfer bans. Any formal punishment is expected to be delayed until that appeal process concludes.

‘Punishment should last years’

Speaking on The Overlap Fan Debate, Carragher argued that a single-season points deduction would fall well short of what the offences warrant. “I think if the people talk about 80 points or 100 points, but that’s just over one season that gets you relegated and then you come back again,” he said.

“And I think players, a few of them would leave, but I think some of them would say, ‘I could put up with that for a year.’ It also builds a connection with the supporters, it’ll be seen in a great light. But I think because this has gone on for so long, I do think the punishment should be over a number of years, three to five years and then players would move on.”

Carragher also acknowledged the financial complexity of a prolonged sanction, noting that City would be restricted to spending only the revenue they generate without Premier League income, forcing them to abide by those constraints in real time.

‘Owners can’t continue’

The futures of owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan and chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak have come under scrutiny since the verdict. One expert on Abu Dhabi has suggested they could look to sell the club after being “embarrassed” and “disgraced” by the ruling.

Carragher said he could not see how the current ownership could remain in place. “I didn’t know how the owners could continue. How can you ever trust them if they’re found guilty of this?” he said.

He also warned that the club’s powerful backers may never accept the verdict. “I think because of where they’re from, the power they have, the finances they have, they’ll never admit they were wrong in this, and they would always say we were wronged. And I think they will keep just dragging it on and I think it’ll just drag the game into the gutter.”

Carragher argued that resolution is necessary not only for the integrity of English football but for Manchester City’s own supporters. “It almost needs sorting out for the game, but also for Manchester City, their support to move on from it. And I don’t think they’d ever be able to move on from it with those people.”

‘Players should be separate’

Carragher was also careful to separate the club’s former players from the institutional wrongdoing, arguing that the achievements of individuals should not be tarnished by decisions made at boardroom and ownership level.