Keane says City players should put their medals 'in the bin' after guilty verdict

Manchester United legend Roy Keane has said he would put his medals “in the bin” if he were a Manchester City player, following the club’s guilty verdict on financial breaches handed down by an independent Premier League commission.

The Premier League confirmed on Tuesday that City had been found guilty of charges first brought in 2023, covering a nine-year period between 2009 and 2018. During that time, City won three league titles, one FA Cup and three League Cups, and were regular Champions League participants. The club issued a statement maintaining their innocence and announced their intention to appeal, with a deadline set for Friday.

Speaking on ITV Sport, Keane was unsparing in his assessment. “They knew it would hurt a lot of people, and they’ve still done it,” he said. “And if I was a player with that bit of success and praise that we’ve given a lot of credit for — but if I was a player I’d be 100% sticking them medals in the bin.”

When asked whether he would feel let down by the club, Keane did not hesitate. “Oh, 100% of course, of course you would. It’s cheating. You’re hearing nonsense from ex-players saying, ‘Oh well, they won on the pitch’. Because there was cheating. There was cheating going on.”

Keane also raised concerns about the long-term impact on City’s playing squad. “I think it’s going to be very difficult for the players, for the manager. The trust, the belief in whatever’s gone on at the football club, what they stand for when you’ve got owners who are quite happy cheating — it’s very difficult for these players going forward to try and maintain the level of excellence that they’ve been displaying.”

Arsenal legend Ian Wright, also in the ITV studio, described the situation as both “sad” and “terrible”, focusing on how City’s players and supporters had been misled. “The players, the fans, they’ve all believed them, they’ve tried to stand behind their club, but they told them that nothing bad’s going on,” Wright said. “And now what is it? 115 charges? And they’ve been telling people. So if you are a player, something’s not right with you, you’re thinking this ain’t right.”

Wright added: “We’re not meant to be seeing this, it’s unprecedented what we’re seeing right now and it’s sad for everybody. But in respect of the owners and what they’ve done? Terrible, terrible.”