Rooney says Manchester City’s FFP lie will force a painful reset

Wayne Rooney has voiced his view on Manchester City’s FFP case, saying the club has ‘quadrupled down on the same lie for so long that they just couldn’t pull back’. The headline also named Robertson as sharing the sentiment, and Rooney insists the robbed rivals are justified.

Potential punishment and club rebirth

Rooney warns that if Man receives the biggest punishment, ownership could be forced to sell and the club might be expelled from the top tier. He speculates that the entity could re‑emerge as AFC Manchester City, beginning life in the Northern Premier League or even lower.

In that scenario, Rooney imagines the side could stall in the Championship rather than bounce straight back to the Premier League. He adds that he considers a full return unlikely, yet believes the club would eventually climb all the way back.

Despite any future demotion, Rooney argues most genuine Manchester City supporters would still label the past two decades the best period of their lives. He says they would feel the experience was worth it even if they acknowledge the cheating.

Fans, he notes, enjoyed the ‘peak Pep‑ball’ era to the point of boredom, and some defended the club by dismissing criticism as ‘only an FA Cup final’. That the side grew its commercial revenue during COVID is often cited as proof of systemic deceit.

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Commercial success amid controversy

Andrew M from London adds genuine respect for Jurgen Klopp’s comments on the City case, noting that few clubs have matched City’s commercial growth. He points out that City was the only club to increase commercial revenue while the pandemic halted most rivals.

Rooney also reminds readers that questionable contract practices are not unique to City; he mentions a ‘Bobby two‑contracts’ episode and cites Olise’s free‑kick against Italy – later deemed invalid after Cherki’s involvement – as further illustration of widespread irregularities.

City’s supporters continue to launch arguments ranging from ‘how else can a poor boy compete’ to claims of ‘irrefutable evidence’ and reputational damage to the Premier League. Yet evidence shows the Abu Dhabi government topped up sponsor agreements, and the club’s reach figures – 25 percent of United’s reach in 2014 delivering 88 percent of commercial revenue, and 43 percent of Chelsea’s reach yielding 146 percent of revenue – underline the disparity.

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