Tony Pulis says Stoke should get 2011 FA Cup after City verdict

Former Stoke City manager Tony Pulis told the BBC on 27 September 2026 that he feels "cheated" after losing the 2011 FA Cup final to Manchester City, a defeat now clouded by the Premier League’s finding that the club broke the vast majority of its 115 financial‑rule charges.

The Premier League has succeeded in proving every substantive claim against Manchester City, confirming that the club is guilty of most of the 115 charges laid out in the investigation.

City’s appeal and chairman’s confidence

Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said on Saturday that Manchester City remain confident of clearing their name and will appeal the verdict, insisting the club is innocent of the alleged breaches.

Calls for stripping titles and legal fallout

Former Manchester United internationals David de Gea and Rio Ferdinand have joined rival fans in urging that City be stripped of the 2011‑12 Premier League title, while Sport reported that the verdict could trigger legal claims worth up to £800 million. In late 2024 Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester United served formal notices reserving the right to act if City face expulsion from the top flight.

2011 final memories and Pulis’ grievance

The 2011 FA Cup final at Wembley saw Manchester City beat Stoke City 1‑0, the only goal coming from Yaya Toure in the 74th minute, delivering City their first major honour since 1976. Roberto Mancini’s side featured Hart, Richards, Kompany, Lescott, Kolorov, De Jong, Barry, Toure, David Silva, Balotelli and Tevez, with substitutes Given, Zabaleta, Boyata, Milner, Johnson, Vieria and Dzeko. Stoke’s line‑up included Sorensen, Wilkinson, Shawcross, Huth, Wilson, Pennant, Whelan, Delap, Etherington, Jones and Walters, with Nash, Collins, Faye, Pugh, Diao, Whitehead and Carew on the bench.

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

Pulis told the BBC that supporters have asked whether the FA Cup could be awarded to Stoke, adding, "We lost, but to a team that have been found guilty of breaking the financial rules set out by the Premier League." He warned that supporters will demand the trophy be passed over and that clubs affected by City’s actions will explore legal options.

The former manager does not expect Manchester City to return the 2011 FA Cup or the winners’ medals, and he doubts any other trophies will be handed back. Instead, he believes a points deduction and a massive fine are the most likely punishments.

Manchester City were first charged in February 2023, with a hearing concluding in December 2024. The Premier League alleged breaches over a 14‑year period, including inaccurate financial reporting from 2009‑10 to 2017‑18, incomplete disclosure of Roberto Mancini’s salary between 2009‑10 and 2012‑13, and insufficient detail of player payments from 2010‑11 to 2015‑16, as well as a failure to co‑operate with the probe from 2018 to 2023.

During the disputed period the club amassed eight Premier League titles, a Champions League trophy, four FA Cups and seven EFL Cups. With the verdict now in place, the possibility of expulsion from the Premier League and further legal action looms large over the city‑based giants.