Keane insists former Man City players should be ‘disgusted’ with owners in 345-word rebuke
Roy Keane says former Manchester City players should be “disgusted” with the club’s “dodgy dealings” and insists he wouldn’t feel like he had “earned a league title” if he were them.
Keane was in the Sky Sports studio as Enzo Maresca’s side dismantled Liverpool in the second half at on Sunday. Ryan Gravenberch’s second yellow card was followed quickly by goals from Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki as City maintained their 100 per cent record in the Premier League.
It was a bizarre atmosphere at Anfield before, during and after a game which, when all is said and done, might be entirely meaningless.
City were found guilty of breaching 114 Premier League rules by an independent commission last month, as the panel found them to have used ‘sham’ sponsorship deals to boost they earnings by around £900m between 2009 and 2018.
The club have now appealed that verdict as they insist upon their innocence and claim they have ‘irrefutable evidence’ to prove it, in the form of documents showing that the sponsorship funds came from the Abu Dhabi government rather from their owners.
READ: 16 Conclusions from Liverpool 0-3 Man City: Doku, Gravenberch, Cherki and the futility of existence
The initial three-man commission has already seen this evidence and ‘concluded it was an explanation that the club had concocted well after the event in an attempt to conceal the realities of the Disguised Funding Scheme’, but City hope an all-new panel will rule in their favour.
The original commission is currently deciding on City’s punishment, with a fine, transfer bans, points deductions and even Premier League expulsion all possible, while it’s also been suggested the club should have their titles stripped in a retrospective action.
And as Premier League executives consider voting to suspend City before the appeal and sanction verdicts, Keane insists former City players should be “disgusted” with what the club’s owners have done.
He said on Sky Sports: “This is nothing against the players or supporters, this is an ownership issue. If you’re going after the big prizes, we’ve been fortunate to pick one or two up. You want to do it honestly.
“You want to look back at your career and think we did everything. You win some games, you lose some games.
“You can’t be looking back at what Man City have done and found guilty of, I know there’s an appeal. We’ve been sitting here and praising Man City and saying they’re amazing and bringing in amazing players. And Pep turning really good players into superstars.
“But the way they were doing it, that’s the issue, nothing on the players. If I was a player and there were stories about stuff we were doing at Manchester United, I’d be disgusted. I’d be disgusted if there were any dodgy dealings and anyone cooking the books.
“Some people think this is a bit strong, but I wouldn’t feel like I’ve earned a league title if there was something dodgy going on in the background. Absolutely not.
“We talk about lads going out and giving their all and picking up injuries but that is your job, that’s what you’re supposed to do when you’re giving it your all.
“You just hope everyone is else is on the same page and being honest and everyone else is trying to do it the proper way.
“I hear a lot of ex-players saying that Man City players gave it their all, we know that. That’s not the issue. But they had unbelievable players on the bench to come on and make them stronger and get them over the line against teams like Liverpool who are pushing each other.
“That’s what top-level football is about, we had it with Arsenal. You hope there is honesty. That’s where respect comes into the game.
“We’re footballing people. It’s difficult for us to talk about legal stuff, we play the game because we love it and are passionate about it but you’ve got to also have a bit of honesty.”
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