Micah Richards 'heartbroken' and Roy Keane scathing as pundits react to Man City guilty verdict

Manchester City have been found guilty of breaking Premier League financial rules, with an Independent Commission ruling on Tuesday that the club overstated their commercial revenue by more than £800 million. Penalties — which could range from a fine to a points deduction or other sporting sanctions — will be determined at a separate hearing.

City insist they are innocent, with CEO Ferran Soriano telling employees in internal correspondence that the suggestion commercial income originated directly from owner Sheikh Mansour was a ‘conspiracy theory’. The club say ‘irrefutable evidence’ has been disregarded and plan to appeal the ruling.

The verdict has drawn strong reactions from across the football world, with several high-profile pundits sharing their responses.

Micah Richards

Former City defender Micah Richards, speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, said the ruling left him devastated. “I felt absolutely devastated, as someone who loves Manchester City,” Richards said. “Man City is my club. I had been at that club since I was 14 years old, I would die for that club.”

Richards described receiving a phone call from his former landlord, a lifelong City supporter, who was in tears seeking answers. “He was literally in tears and asking me for information. I haven’t got the answers to tell him, and that is someone who has supported the club for 60-odd years — the uncertainty around it is just heartbreaking.”

He added that the language used in the Premier League’s announcement troubled him deeply. “I saw the words that were used — ‘sham contracts’. If you listen to the reports that have been said, they are damning. How do I feel? I feel saddened, I feel angry, I feel a little bit confused because on the other side you have City’s side of the story.”

Roy Keane

Roy Keane, speaking on ITV, was characteristically blunt in his assessment. “Well, do you know what? They knew it would hurt a lot of people, and they still done it,” Keane said, adding that the scale of success City have enjoyed during the period under scrutiny made the findings all the more striking.

The wider picture

Jamie Carragher was among the other pundits to publicly react to the verdict, with strong opinions emerging from across the punditry landscape in the hours following the announcement.

The case represents one of the most significant disciplinary rulings in Premier League history. City’s appeal means the process is far from over, but the initial finding has already reshaped how the club’s dominant era will be viewed — at least until a final resolution is reached.