Former Manchester City and United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel has issued a clear punishment verdict that does not include Premier League relegation
Peter Schmeichel has suggested four punishments for Manchester City but thinks Premier League relegation should not be one of them. If their appeal against breaking regulations fails, the 62-year-old wants to see them start on -25 points for the next five seasons, the owners forced to sell, a transfer ban imposed and a fine dished out.
An independent panel found City guilty of all financial charges in late September but the club have maintained they are innocent. An appeal against the outcome was lodged earlier this month with the decision from that expected to be known in January.
Despite that process starting, City could actually learn their potential punishment before then with the sanctions hearing also underway. The stripping of titles and immediate expulsion from the Premier League would be the most severe punishments, but Schmeichel has suggested four alternatives.
“I think, of course, you keep them in the Premier League. But for every year they’re in the Premier League, the next five years, they start on -25 points,” he said on Viaplay after City’s 3-0 win over Liverpool.
“It’s also staying as a reminder to everybody else that when you cheat in the Premier League, and if you cheat all the other clubs, it’s heavy. I think this is important: a transfer ban for five years and a big fine.
“And then I think the ownership should be forced to sell the club. I don’t think they’re fit to run this football club and they’re not fit to run a football club in England.
“Also, I think bans for everyone who has been in on this. They cannot operate in football. Take the titles away or let them keep the titles. I don’t think it matters one way or the other.”
Fellow former United player Jaap Stam shared similar views but disagreed with one of Schmeichel’s points. He said: “I think they need to strip them of the titles because they’ve been cheating in getting them.
“But I totally agree with Peter in that they need to get punished somehow. I think it’s very important that the Premier League sets an example for everybody else that this is never going to happen again.”
City returned to action following the extended international break with an impressive win at a hostile Anfield. Second-half goals from Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki sealed the victory with the game altered significantly by a red card to Ryan Gravenberch just after the hour-mark.
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Elliot Anderson was arguably City’s best performer on the day while Ruben Dias and Gianluigi Donnarumma were others that impressed. However, Sky Sports’ Gary Neville admitted he found it difficult to give out praise with the case still ongoing as the points picked up could mean nothing come the end of the season.
He said: “To come and win at Anfield is really difficult, we should be eulogising over them without a but or any hesitation, but there is that thing in the back of your mind.
“They have done a brilliant job here today. They have dominated the game in the last 20 minutes, from the red card onwards. They have dug in and I think players like [Gianluigi] Donnarumma, [Ruben] Dias and Anderson, in that first-half were excellent. They stood strong as a group.
“At the end of the game it is quite hard because you are imagining basically if these guilty verdicts are confirmed in January or February then Manchester City are not going to be in the position they are in and there is going to be a huge cloud hanging over the whole league.”
