Man City FFP: Harry Redknapp reveals how Tottenham were ‘cheated’ by scandal – ‘They should be hit hard’
Harry Redknapp has revealed how he thinks his old club Tottenham Hotspur were ‘cheated’ by the Manchester City FFP scandal and why he thinks the Etihad outfit should be punished in ‘the years to come’, rather than having titles taken away.
The footballing world was left stunned on Friday after it emerged that Man City had been found guilty on 114 of the 115 Premier League financial regulations they were accused of breaching.
The verdict came off the back of a four-year investigation into the club’s financial practices carried out between 2009 and 2018.
The eight-time English champions are expected to launch an appeal in due course, with no timeline for City’s punishment as it stands. Indeed, there are fears the process could still drag on for some time.
While a hefty points deduction remains the likeliest course of action, there has even been talk of relegation to the EFL, who are expected to back the Premier League in that scenario.
The potential knock-on effects of City’s misconduct also brings countless other clubs into the picture, one of them being Tottenham, who Redknapp managed when the two teams were scrapping to secure Champions League places in the early 2010s.
But, while his side missed out on dining with Europe’s elite by one place in successive seasons in 2010/11 and 2011/12, Redknapp feels it would be madness to start trying to rewrite history.
“Manchester City’s guilty verdict handed down on almost all of their Premier League charges is a staggering moment for football,” Redknapp wrote in a column for The Sun.
“It is a huge task to try and wrap your head around just how far this could reach through the sport — all the people who could be impacted.
“There are so many who will feel they have a claim to have some wrongs righted should City fail in their appeal and I am one of them.
‘”During the period City’s charges cover, I was in charge of Spurs and locking horns with them for the Champions League spots over a long run.
“In back-to-back seasons, 2010/11 and 2011/12, we finished one place off qualification.
“The second time around, when City won the title with that Sergio Aguero goal on the final day, we finished fourth but still missed out as Chelsea won the Champions League to take our spot.
“In May 2011, a 1-0 loss to Roberto Mancini’s side saw them qualify for Europe’s biggest competition for the first time and ended our dream of getting in there ourselves.’
Redknapp added: “Who knows what would have happened if those at the Etihad had been playing by the rules like everyone else?
“No one can say for sure but Tottenham fans will not be alone in feeling that they were, in some way, cheated across those seasons.”
DON’T MISS: Liverpool now huge threat to sign Tottenham ace for £80m-£90m
Man City punishment should focus on present, not the past
Though teams at both ends of the English top flight may have grievances and cases to make over the whole scandal, Redknapp insists he has ‘no interest’ in the Premier League returning to previous seasons to take points or titles away from City.
He continued: “Champions League football over those two years could have changed so much for Spurs but I have no interest in the Premier League going back and deducting points from those seasons or deducting titles from City.
“This whole process has been one almighty, drawn-out mess, but we are still a long way off from it being finished.
“Just imagine the can of worms we would be opening if the suits were to start going back and altering league tables which have long been finalised.
“Where do you start and where do you draw the line? Not only are the clubs at the top impacted by titles, Champions League places and huge revenue missed out on – but those at the bottom will all have claims, too.”
More on Man City FFP scandal…
Indeed, Redknapp feels that if the Premier League does look back at past seasons, it could end up doing ‘incredible damage’ to their standing across the world.
“Opening up all those previous seasons would do incredible damage to a league which is the envy of the world,” the 79-year-old added.
“City obviously need to be punished, to be made an example of, but it makes much more sense for everyone involved if those penalties cover the years to come.
“They should be hit hard when all is said and done but, as wronged as we all might feel by what happened, it would be madness to go back and start messing with results from the past.”
