Thierry Henry dismisses fabricated quotes about Manchester City's 115 charges verdict

Thierry Henry has moved to shut down fabricated quotes circulating on Facebook that falsely claimed the Arsenal legend had called for Manchester City’s titles to be stripped following the verdict in their Premier League financial charges case.

The 49-year-old responded directly after the bogus posts gained traction in the wake of Friday’s reports that City had been found guilty of all but one of their 115 charges — the result of an investigation triggered by the leak of financial documents in 2018, covering alleged rule violations between 2009 and 2018.

“Fake news,” Henry wrote. “I haven’t spoken to anyone about Manchester City. Stop inventing stories.”

Henry is not alone. His CBS Sports colleague Jamie Carragher was similarly targeted in July, when made-up quotes attributed to him about Cristiano Ronaldo spread online following a World Cup exit. Both cases reflect a growing pattern of prominent sporting figures being falsely linked to comments on high-profile events for social media engagement.

Manchester City issued a statement on Friday maintaining their long-standing position. “The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality,” the club said. “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.”

City are expected to challenge the verdict, with proceedings likely to continue for a considerable period. A three-person independent panel will convene a hearing to determine what sanctions the club should face, with that hearing scheduled to run for several weeks.

The Times reported on Monday that the Premier League will submit recommendations to the independent commission regarding appropriate penalties. Among the punishments being discussed is a substantial points deduction — one that, given the scale of the breaches, could theoretically place the club at risk of relegation.