Roy Keane questions the true value of Manchester City's trophies

11 October 2026, 20:56·34·Sport

Writing some of the most controversial pages in the history of the English Premier League, Manchester United's former captain and legendary midfielder Roy Keane has made a harsh statement regarding the large-scale financial scandal surrounding their city rivals, Manchester City.

Found guilty by an independent commission of financial rules violations over a period of nine years, the "Citizens" now face the threat of severe disciplinary penalties — point deductions or total expulsion from the EPL. Interviewed by The Touchline, Keane openly stated that titles won behind fake reports cast a stain on sporting integrity.

Nine years of trickery: £900 million in artificial revenue

The scale of the charges brought against Manchester City has taken on unprecedented proportions in the football world:

Scale of financial fraud: According to the independent commission's findings, the club artificially inflated its revenues over 9 years, with this amount exceeding £900 million;
Inevitable sanctions: If the appeal filed by City is rejected, severe sporting sanctions such as heavy point deductions, demotion in the standings, or even expulsion from the Premier League will come into effect.

Roy Keane's confession: "I don't deserve such a fake championship"

Emphasizing that he places fair competition and sporting principles above all else, the former MU leader stated that he would not want to be in the shoes of City's players:

Hatred for falsification: "If I were a player and such rumors were circulating about what was happening at Manchester United, I would have hated it. Any suspicious trickery or falsification of financial reports would have made me furious," Keane says;
"Unworthy of the title": The former captain continued: "Some might consider this too harsh a measure. But if such dirty deeds have taken place, I would not consider myself worthy of the league champion title. Absolutely not".

Assumptions that financial machinations lie behind Manchester City's hegemony in recent years and the commission's official conclusions could lead to the biggest disciplinary punishment in EPL history.