Ferdinand demands United titles as Man City found guilty of 114 Premier League charges

Manchester City have been found guilty of 114 of the 115 charges relating to breaches of the Premier League’s spending rules, in a landmark ruling that has sent shockwaves through English football. All top-flight clubs were informed of the verdict on Friday afternoon, with punishment — which could include a fine, a points deduction, or expulsion from the division — yet to be determined.

Rio Ferdinand was among the first high-profile voices to react, and the former Manchester United and England defender wasted little time in making his feelings known. Taking to X shortly after the news broke, Ferdinand wrote: “Another Premier League medal to be added to the cabinet” — a pointed reference to the possibility that City could be stripped of titles won during the period covered by the charges.

Ferdinand went further, sharing images of former United managers José Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjær alongside the messages: “And another [title] for Jose…. And another for Ole.” United finished as runners-up to City in both the 2017/18 and 2020/21 Premier League seasons — campaigns that would be converted into title wins for the Red Devils if City’s points tallies from those years were expunged.

The reaction follows Ferdinand’s more pointed criticism from 2024, when he publicly questioned the pace of proceedings. “When is this going to get sorted out?” he said at the time. “Everton have had two dockings this season already. Nottingham Forest, all these teams are getting docked points. Manchester City’s are just…” — he paused, mimicking someone flicking through an endless pile of paperwork.

Ferdinand also warned then that smaller clubs would be watching the outcome closely. “If I was those clubs, I’d be like, ‘let’s see what happens with City first’. But if they get nothing or a little slap on the wrist, I can see them going nuts.”

City, for their part, issued a measured statement in response to the reports. “The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality,” the club said. “Manchester City FC’s position remains consistent with the club’s statement of February 2023. The club has diligently respected due process for eight years on the basis the Premier League board and executive would behave as an independent, impartial and fair-minded regulator, free from partisan influence.”

No timeline for sentencing has been confirmed, and the full implications of the ruling — for City’s trophy record, their current standing, and the wider integrity of the Premier League — remain to be seen.