When news broke that Manchester City had been found guilty of all but one of the 115 charges relating to breaches of the Premier League’s financial regulations, ex-Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand posted sarcastically on X, ‘Another Premier League medal to be added to the cabinet’ For a man like Ferdinand, who won six Premier League champions medals, one more may not make a big difference. Other players who have been on the losing side to Manchester City and have never won a major title will be less sanguine.

Players who have been on the losing side to Manchester City and have never won a major title will be less sanguine

Players who have been on the losing side to Manchester City and have never won a major title will be less sanguine

Claims for compensation and re-awarding of titles and medals will be loud and persistent. Given that over the period between 2009 and 2018, when the charges relate to, Manchester City won eight trophies, there are hundreds of players who probably lost out on medals and probably bonuses, not counting how they may have gone on to profit from enhanced careers and transfers.

Managers, too, will have lost out on bonuses and, possibly more importantly for them, boasting rights. Jose Mourinho, now manager of Real Madrid, famously bragged ‘I consider one of the best jobs of my career was to finish second (to Manchester City 2017-18) with Manchester United in the Premier League.’ Reassigning the title to Mourinho would enable him to join Carlo Ancelotti as the only manager to win league titles with five different clubs.

As for the clubs themselves, you can bet your life that they are all consulting their lawyers. In June this year Burnley, who lost out in a relegation battle with Everton FC (the club supported by the Prime Minister Andy Burnham) in the 2021/22 season, was awarded £35 million as compensation for Everton’s breaking of Profit and Sustainability Regulations (PSR).

Lois McLatchie Miller

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