Jamie Carragher has called for Manchester City to be stripped of titles and trophies won during the period covered by the club’s financial breaches, arguing that simply returning medals to rival players would not restore what he believes was lost.
Carragher’s comments came after an independent Premier League commission found Manchester City guilty of charges relating to serious breaches of the competition’s financial rules.
The case covers the period from the 2009/10 to 2017/18 seasons.
The commission found that City had used arrangements described as “sham” contracts as part of a scheme that artificially inflated revenues and reduced costs by more than £900 million.
City have denied wrongdoing and said they will appeal the verdict.
The punishment has yet to be determined, with possible sanctions still to be considered.
Carragher, speaking on Sky Sports, said the titles won during the affected period should be removed from Manchester City’s record.
“I do think Manchester City’s titles they’ve won in this time, or trophies, should be taken off their list,” Carragher said.
However, the former Liverpool defender made a distinction between stripping the honours and handing them retrospectively to the teams that finished behind City.
For Carragher, the issue goes beyond medals and trophies sitting in a cabinet.
He argued that players who lost major matches and title races during that period cannot simply have those experiences rewritten by receiving a medal years later.
Carragher explained that when players remember winning or losing major games, they remember the emotions and moments surrounding them — something he believes cannot be recovered through the redistribution of trophies.
“It’s not about medals, it’s about feelings, and that’s what Manchester City have robbed,” Carragher said.
He added that giving a rival player a trophy years later would not recreate the moment they experienced at the time.
Carragher also questioned whether Manchester City’s ownership should continue in its current form, arguing that responsibility should extend to those at the top of the club.
He said the club itself would face punishment but placed particular emphasis on the owners and their role in the case.
During the period covered by the charges, Manchester City won three Premier League titles, one FA Cup, three League Cups and one Community Shield.
The Premier League has yet to announce the final sanctions. City’s appeal is also expected to play a significant role in determining what happens next.
For now, the verdict has opened a new chapter in one of the biggest financial-rule cases in English football, with the question of whether past titles should be removed from Manchester City’s honours list likely to remain a major part of the debate.
