Sour taste for Tony Pulis as City’s 2011 triumph over Stoke is questioned

Former Stoke City manager Tony Pulis has said he feels "cheated" after Manchester City were found guilty of breaching Premier League financial rules linked to their 2011 FA Cup triumph over Stoke. Pulis, who was in the dugout for the historic final, recalled the 1-0 defeat decided by a Yaya Touré goal.

Verdict and its implications

The alleged verdict, reached after more than 100 charges covering the period 2009 to 2018, could see Manchester City face a massive fine and points deduction, 2011 FA Cup or the winners’ medals, adding that any other trophies are unlikely to be returned.

In a column, Pulis wrote: "We lost, but to a team that have been found guilty of breaking the financial rules set out by the Premier League. In doing so, they did not just beat Stoke in an FA Cup final; they collected a stack of titles and went on to completely dominate English football for more than a decade."

City’s response and next steps

Manchester City have denied any wrongdoing and are expected to appeal the judgement, which was reportedly delivered early in 2023. Club president Khaldoon al‑Mubarak told reporters that "nothing had changed" with the club’s position, despite the ongoing legal process.

The Premier League has not yet commented publicly on the reports, and no sanctions have been announced.

Pulis noted that the 2011 cup win marked the start of City’s modern era of domestic dominance, leading to a Premier League title the following year. He said his disappointment originally stemmed from facing a side full of super‑stars coached by Roberto Mancini, but the financial verdict has altered his perspective.

He concluded that Stoke supporters will continue to demand redress, yet he remains sceptical about any retroactive award of the trophy. "We won’t ever get that day back and the chance to celebrate around Stoke‑on‑Trent with the cup and medals we so honestly fought for," he wrote.