Wayne Rooney, who netted 253 goals across 559 appearances for Manchester United, has voiced strong reservations regarding the prospect of his former club receiving top-flight titles should Manchester City be stripped of them. Recent findings indicate that City have been found guilty of the majority of 115 charges brought by the Premier League, covering a period from the 2009-10 season through to 2017-18, alongside accusations of failing to cooperate with investigators between December 2018 and February 2023. Man City guilty: ‘Sham’ contracts and £830m overstated income revealed.
City, who have secured eight Premier League titles since the 2009 takeover by Sheikh Mansour, now face potential sanctions, with three of those championship seasons falling within the timeframe of the alleged financial rule-breaking. While the club plans to appeal these findings, the conversation has turned toward whether previous runners-up should be retrospectively crowned champions. Rooney, who played in the United squad that finished behind City in the 2011-12 season, stated on the Stick to United podcast that he would not feel comfortable accepting a title under such circumstances. Sanctions are yet to be announced and City plan to appeal against the decision. Rooney was part of the United side that finished runners-up to City in 2011-2012 but does not want to be awarded the title retrospectively. They’re there doing everything they can to win the Premier League title and in their minds they’ve done it, i’m thinking as their players. For instance, if they got a 20-point deduction for the next three years then players won’t want to stay there.
“I wouldn’t feel comfortable about accepting another Premier League medal if I’m being honest, because I don’t think we deserve it,” the 40-year-old explained. He noted that his team simply did not perform well enough that season to secure the top spot. “I wouldn’t want this one just sat there… 15 years later or whatever it was you get a medal because City cheated. I just wouldn’t feel comfortable accepting a Premier League medal for finishing second.”
Rooney expressed empathy for the current City squad, suggesting that if the situation were reversed and he were a player having medals stripped away due to administrative actions above his level of involvement, he would feel devastated. Despite his stance on the titles, he remains firm in his belief that the club should face relegation. He suggested placing the team in the lowest possible league and imposing strict spending limits for several seasons to ensure the punishment is substantive.
“I do think we’re going to see City getting relegated,” Rooney said. “I’d put them in the lowest league they can go in and then put restrictions on them in terms of how much money they can spend for the next three or four seasons.” He argued that a simple move to the Championship might not be enough of a deterrent to keep top talent, whereas a prolonged, multi-year points deduction combined with lower-league placement would be significantly more difficult to overcome.
This sentiment contrasts with some of his peers. Former United teammates Rio Ferdinand and David de Gea have hinted on social media that they believe they should receive the titles if City are found liable. Meanwhile, former Stoke City manager Tony Pulis shared that he felt “cheated” after his team’s defeat to City in the 2011 FA Cup final. Regardless of these perspectives, Rooney maintains he is satisfied with the five titles he won legitimately on the pitch.
