Jamie Carragher, the former Liverpool defender turned Sky Sports analyst, has argued that Manchester City should have all the trophies they secured while under investigation for financial misconduct stripped away, and that the club's proprietors ought to be removed from their leadership roles. His comments come after an independent commission concluded that City had committed serious violations of the Premier League's financial regulations, finding the club guilty on every count.
The club has consistently denied any wrongdoing. Chief executive Ferran Soriano dismissed the investigation as a "Premier League conspiracy theory" in a video addressed to players and staff, and City have announced they will appeal the decision, with a deadline set for October 2 to lodge their challenge.
Between the 2009/10 and 2017/18 campaigns, Manchester City amassed a remarkable haul of silverware: three Premier League crowns, one FA Cup, three League Cups and a Community Shield. Carragher believes that these honours should be erased from the club's record. "I do think Manchester City's titles they've won in this time, or trophies, should be taken off their list," he said on Sky Sports. He stopped short of endorsing the automatic redistribution of those trophies to the runners‑up, noting that the emotional significance of winning cannot simply be transferred.
"Whether other clubs should get them is slightly different," Carragher explained. "But what Manchester City have done is, they've not just hurt their own players in terms of no one looks at their trophies and medals now in the same way…" Carragher reflected on his own experience of winning medals, describing how the memory of a final whistle and the surge of adrenaline are what truly matter, not the physical object itself.
"Those players will never get that feeling and it was robbed by Manchester City. That's what they haven't got.
I don't think any player will care if you go and give them a medal, and he puts it in the house, in his trophy room, he'll never look at it. It's not about medals, it's about feelings, and that's what Manchester City have robbed," he said.
Beyond the loss of trophies, Carragher insisted that the owners must face personal consequences. "The club are going to get punished," he asserted. "You've got supporters, players, the club and owners. For me this is all about the owners, the people who are at the top of the club." He questioned how the City owners could remain involved in English football after a decade of alleged breaches that have left a lasting stain on the club's reputation.
"We talk about a fit and proper test for owners. What they've done for 10 years – and left this stain that will be there for the next 10 years – it starts because they don't like the word no," Carragher said, referring to statements from Soriano that he described as "beggars belief".
Carragher argued that the owners' immense financial power has insulated them from accountability. "They have so much power and finance behind them, nobody ever tells them no. Until they move away from the club, I don't know how this stain is removed from the club," he added.
He praised the Premier League for its tenacity in pursuing the case, noting the sheer volume of charges – 115 in total, with 114 upheld – as a testament to the seriousness of the investigation. "A huge well done to the Premier League for the result it seems they have right now. For the Premier League to not just win this case but people talk about 114 charges out of 115 – they had to win it like that for it to be convincing," Carragher said.
The former defender also examined the impact on Manchester City's most celebrated players from the period in question, as well as the current squad. He expressed empathy for those athletes who now face the prospect of an asterisk attached to their achievements. "I'd be furious and I actually feel for the Man City players," Carragher said.
"As a team, what they've done is wrong. The Premier League have called it a sham five times in their statement." He singled out Kevin De Bruyne as an example of a world‑class talent whose legacy could be tarnished.
"I think of Kevin De Bruyne, who's one of the greatest players I've ever seen. He could have played for any team in the world and he still would have been one of the best players. He was fantastic. But he chose his club to be Manchester City.
Now, one of those reasons he may have chosen, maybe was his wages, that maybe were inflated because of the situation around Man City and what they've been charged with," Carragher noted. Carragher warned that continued denial from the club hierarchy could further alienate former players and supporters. "They're just gaslighting the players, their ex‑players, their supporters, because those people want to believe them so much. They've got such strong relationships with them, they want to believe it right now," he said.
He predicted that as the legal battle drags on, more ex‑City players may distance themselves from the club, frustrated by the prospect that their careers will forever be viewed through the lens of controversy. In summary, Carragher's stance is clear: Manchester City should be stripped of the honours earned during the period of alleged financial misconduct, and the owners who presided over that era should be forced out of their positions. He believes that while the club may eventually rebuild on the pitch, the reputational damage inflicted by the breaches cannot be ignored, and accountability at the highest level is essential for the integrity of English football.