Tony Pulis feels ‘cheated’ by Manchester City after Stoke defeat in 2011 FA Cup final
Tony Pulis has said that he feels “cheated” by Stoke City’s defeat to Manchester City in the 2011 FA Cup final after the club were reportedly found guilty on virtually all counts of breaching Premier League financial rules.
Manchester City deny any wrongdoing and are expected to appeal following the judgement of more than 100 charges laid by the Premier League early in 2023.
The charges cover a period between 2009 and 2018 that encompasses the 2011 Wembley showpiece, which was settled by a Yaya Toure goal.
And Pulis believes Stoke fans have a right to feel aggrieved that they missed out on the trophy – even if the manager does not expect it to be retroactively awarded to his side.
“When do we get our FA Cup?” Pulis said in his BBC Sport column. “That is what all Stoke fans have been asking me since the news broke on Friday. I thought exactly the same.
“I don’t expect Manchester City to offer back the 2011 FA Cup and the winners’ medals their players received. I don’t seriously believe any other trophies and titles will be handed back over either. A points deduction and a massive fine feels far more likely.
“But I still feel cheated. We won’t ever get that day back and the chance to celebrate around Stoke-on-Trent with the cup and medals we so honestly fought for. After breaking the rules, Manchester City got to do that instead. While the process is far from over because City are expected to appeal, I have to say this verdict and the whole situation has left a very sour taste in my mouth.”
The Premier League has not yet commented publicly on the reports that a verdict has been reached, and no sanctions have yet been outlined.
On Saturday, Manchester City president Khaldoon al-Mubarak insisted “nothing had changed” with the club’s position on the matter nearly two years on from a 12-week hearing.
The 2011 FA Cup crown kicked off a transformative period of success for Manchester City, and was followed a year later by a first Premier League triumph.
Pulis admits the reported verdict has changed his perspective on the final.
He said: “My disappointment was buried in the fact we had played a team full of superstars, and faced an elite coach in Roberto Mancini, and had just fallen short. Today, I feel very differently, as I am sure people connected with the other clubs affected by City’s successes in the same period, between 2009 and 2018 [will feel].
“We lost, but to a team that have been found guilty of breaking the financial rules set out by the Premier League. In doing so, they did not just beat Stoke in an FA Cup final, they collected a stack of titles and went on to completely dominate English football for more than a decade. So, with those rules having been broken, what will the punishment be?”
