Wayne Rooney, who netted 253 goals across 559 appearances for Manchester United, has voiced his opposition to receiving retrospective Premier League titles if rivals Manchester City are stripped of their honors for breaching financial regulations. Following the recent guilty verdict regarding the majority of the 115 charges brought against Manchester City by the Premier League, speculation has intensified over potential sanctions. The charges cover financial conduct from 2009-10 to 2017-18, alongside accusations of non-cooperation with investigations between December 2018 and February 2023.
While City, who have won the Premier League eight times since their 2009 takeover, intend to appeal the decision, stripping the club of titles remains a potential punishment. Rooney, who was part of the United squad that finished as runners-up to City during the 2011-12 season, stated on the Stick to United podcast that he would not accept such a medal. “I wouldn’t feel comfortable about accepting another Premier League medal if I’m being honest, because I don’t think we deserve it,” he said, adding that his team did not do enough during that campaign to finish first. 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. And, if those players have got no understanding of what’s going on above them, then if that happened to me – if all of a sudden Manchester United have been doing the same and I’m getting my Premier League medals taken away from me – I’d be absolutely devastated. According to when I’ve heard of ex-team-mates and people saying, ‘we’ve won another medal’, I’m happy with the five I’ve won,”, Rooney. According to i do think we’re going to see City getting relegated,”, The 40-year-old. “However that happens I don’t know but I think we’re going to see them get relegated.
Rooney expressed empathy for the current City players, noting that those who were unaware of administrative misconduct would likely feel devastated to have their achievements removed. He reiterated that he would not want to receive a medal 15 years later simply because the rival club was found to have cheated. Conversely, other former teammates such as Rio Ferdinand and David de Gea have suggested on social media that previous runners-up should be awarded those titles, while former Stoke City manager Tony Pulis described feeling “cheated” regarding his own side’s 2011 FA Cup final defeat against the Blues.
Despite his stance on title stripping, Rooney firmly believes that Manchester City should face relegation. He suggested that demoting the club to the lowest possible league, combined with severe spending restrictions over several seasons, would be a more effective punishment than a standard Championship campaign. He argued that simply relegating them to the second tier would not serve as a sufficient deterrent, as they could quickly return to the top flight. Instead, he proposed a significant points deduction over three years, which he believes would force a major squad exodus and provide a more meaningful long-term consequence for the alleged breaches.
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