Wayne Rooney has stated that Manchester United should not be awarded Premier League titles if their rivals, Manchester City, are stripped of them due to financial rule violations. Rooney, who scored 253 goals during his 559 appearances for United, shared his perspective on the ongoing situation regarding the 115 charges brought against the reigning champions. League Two, whatever… that could be very difficult for them.
Manchester City has been found guilty of a majority of these charges, which cover a financial period from the 2009-10 season through 2017-18, alongside accusations of failing to cooperate with league investigations between December 2018 and February 2023. While sanctions are still pending and City intends to appeal, there has been speculation about the potential removal of their top-flight titles. Since Sheikh Mansour’s 2009 takeover, City has secured eight Premier League titles, three of which fall within the period of the alleged financial misconduct. Man City guilty: ‘Sham’ contracts and £830m overstated income revealed.
Reflecting on the 2011-2012 season, when his Manchester United side finished as runners-up to City, the 40-year-old Rooney maintained that he would feel uncomfortable accepting a medal years later. Speaking on the Stick to United podcast, he stated: “I wouldn’t feel comfortable about accepting another Premier League medal if I’m being honest, because I don’t think we deserve it. We didn’t do enough that season to win the league.” They might take them away but I wouldn’t want it because I don’t feel as a team we deserved it that year because we obviously didn’t finish first. Would I want to receive that medal for finishing second, the question is.
Rooney expressed sympathy for City’s players, suggesting they were simply performing their roles to win titles, likely unaware of the administrative issues occurring above them. “If those players have got no understanding of what’s going on above them, then if that happened to me… I’d be absolutely devastated,” he added. He emphasized that being handed a medal 15 years later because of another club’s actions would not provide a sense of achievement.
While Rooney opposes the redistribution of titles, he believes that relegation is a likely outcome for City. “I do think we’re going to see City getting relegated,” he remarked. He proposed that if the club is relegated, they should be placed in the lowest possible tier with strict financial restrictions over several seasons to ensure the punishment is effective.
“I’d put them in the lowest league they can go in and then put restrictions on them in terms of how much money they can spend for the next three or four seasons,” Rooney suggested. He argued that a simple move to the Championship would not suffice, as the club would likely bounce back, whereas long-term point deductions—such as a 20-point penalty over three years—would make it significantly harder to retain their squad.
The debate follows mixed reactions from other former players. While former United teammates such as Rio Ferdinand and David de Gea have hinted on social media that they feel retrospective titles should be awarded, others, like former Stoke City manager Tony Pulis, have expressed feeling personally “cheated” regarding past domestic results. Despite these differing views, Rooney remains firm that he is content with the five Premier League titles he earned on the pitch, rather than seeking new ones via legal rulings. According to and former Stoke City boss Tony Pulis, He felt “cheated” after his side were beaten by the Blues in the 2011 FA Cup final.
