ROY KEANE AND IAN WRIGHT DELIVER BLUNT MAN CITY VERDICT — ‘THEY CHEATED’ AS PUNDITS CALL FOR PUNISHMENT

Roy Keane and Ian Wright have delivered a furious reaction to Manchester City’s reported guilty verdict, with both Premier League legends arguing that the club should face serious punishment.

After a three-year saga, an independent panel found City guilty of 114 of the 115 financial-rule charges brought against them by the Premier League.

City have consistently denied wrongdoing and are expected to appeal, but the verdict immediately sparked a major debate across football.

During ITV’s coverage of England’s Nations League clash with Spain at Wembley, Keane was asked for his reaction to the decision — and he did not hold back.

“Well it’s about time [the decision was made],” Keane said.

“It was the choice of the club, they chose to cheat, and whatever they have won over the last few years, they deserve to be punished.”

Keane acknowledged that deciding exactly how severe the punishment should be would be difficult, but insisted the reported findings could not simply be ignored.

“But they were cheating. Been found guilty of it, they have to take their medicine now,” he added.

“And it was kind of a shock really to be found guilty of… 114 of the charges they were found guilty of? Big news it was.”

Ian Wright Raises Liverpool Question

Wright was then asked what the situation meant for the reputation of English football.

“Not very good, not very good. I’m going to be totally honest, Pougs,” he replied.

The former Arsenal striker also responded to comments from Rodri, who had discussed his experience of winning trophies with City during a Spain press conference.

Wright acknowledged that the players involved could not have their memories of those achievements taken away.

“But they should take that away from them, they should be punished for it,” Wright said.

He then turned his attention to the clubs who were competing with City during the period covered by the charges.

“They may have been able to experience those memories and all of those great times together, but then, when you look at all of the teams that were trying to chase them, they were doing it right.”

Wright specifically raised Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp’s side as an example of what could potentially have been missed.

“What have we taken from Liverpool’s legacy, Klopp and that team? What could they have experienced?” he asked.

“Roy’s right, they cheated to get it done, and people have missed out on that. Players have missed out on unbelievable opportunities for themselves. I’m glad that we finally got there.”

City Insist Nothing Has Changed

The reaction from Keane and Wright came shortly after City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak released an open letter to supporters, maintaining the club’s position that it is innocent despite the reported verdict.

Al Mubarak said the Premier League process “still has a long way to run” and insisted City’s confidence in proving their innocence remained as strong as it had been when the case began.

“There are so many things that I would like to be able to share with you to help you understand why we feel so confident in our position,” he wrote.

“But the strict confidentiality of the legal process and our determination to respect it means I cannot do that at the moment.”

He also urged supporters to read the club’s previous statements, saying: “While some people have been quick to reach their own conclusions, and there is so much noise swirling around us, nothing has changed.”

With City expected to appeal, the controversy is far from over. But Keane and Wright have already made their positions clear — and the debate over what the verdict means for the club’s recent history is only getting louder.