Wayne Rooney says his former club Manchester United do not deserve to be retrospectively awarded Premier League titles even if Manchester City are stripped of them for breaching financial rules.
City have been found guilty of the majority of the 115 charges brought against them by the Premier League. The financial charges cover the period from 2009-10 to 2017-18, while the club were also accused of failing to cooperate with Premier League investigations between December 2018 and February 2023. Sanctions have not yet been announced, and City intend to appeal the decision. One possible punishment under consideration is stripping the club of top-flight titles — City have won the Premier League eight times since Sheikh Mansour's takeover in 2009, three of which came during the period they were accused of breaking financial rules.
Rooney was part of the United side that finished runners-up to City in the 2011-12 season, but he made clear he has no interest in being awarded that title after the fact. Speaking on the Stick to United podcast, he said he wouldn't feel comfortable accepting another Premier League medal, explaining that United simply didn't do enough that season to win the league. He pointed out that City's players had been doing everything they could to win the title and, in their own minds, had achieved it. Rooney said that if he were in their position — with no knowledge of what was happening above them at boardroom level — and later had his medals taken away, he would be devastated. He acknowledged City's medals might ultimately be stripped, but stressed he personally wouldn't want one himself, since his team didn't finish first that season.
His comments follow reactions from former United teammates Rio Ferdinand and David de Gea, both of whom suggested on social media that retrospective titles should be awarded following Friday's guilty verdict. Former Stoke boss Tony Pulis also said he felt "cheated" after his side lost to City in the 2011 FA Cup final.
Rooney said he remains happy with the five Premier League medals he already has, and wouldn't want an additional one sitting on his shelf on the basis that City had broken the rules. He was firm that accepting a medal for finishing second wouldn't sit right with him, even if some players in his position might feel differently.
While opposed to titles being taken away, Rooney does believe City should face relegation as part of their punishment. He said he expects City to end up relegated in some form, and suggested placing the club in the lowest possible division while also imposing spending restrictions for three or four seasons. He argued that simply dropping them into the Championship wouldn't be enough, since they would likely bounce straight back up, whereas restrictions such as a points deduction over multiple seasons could make it far harder for the club to hold onto players and recover quickly. Rooney said he would go as far as possible with the punishment.
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