Carragher claims there is an ‘asterisk’ next to Man City success as Neville urges quick conclusion

Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville have urged the Premier League and Man City to reach a quick conclusion over the club’s Financial Fair Play charges.

The champions were rocked in early February when the Premier League charged them with 115 breaches of its Financial Fair Play regulations following a four-year investigation.

The Premier League issued a statement on its website announcing the club – who have won the competition seven times since 2011 – had been referred to an independent commission in respect of a series of alleged breaches of rules related to club finances.

The alleged breaches concerned the reporting of accurate financial information, the submission of details of manager and player pay information within the relevant contracts, a club’s responsibility as a Premier League member to adhere to UEFA’s Financial Fair Play regulations and to the league’s own profitability and sustainability regulations.

The club are also alleged to have breached rules requiring them to co-operate and assist with the Premier League’s investigation into those breaches, which the league says began in December 2018.

Man City have already won the Premier League title for the third time in a row this season and are on course for a treble with Pep Guardiola’s side facing Man United in the FA Cup final and Inter Milan in the Champions League final.

And former Liverpool defender Carragher is urging a quick resolution to the champions’ Financial Fair Play charges with an “asterisk” currently next to their achievements.

“Man City don’t want it, their supporters don’t want it. The Premier League doesn’t want it,” Carragher told Sky Sports.

“Man City rightly so defend themselves and say they’re innocent of all charges. But if you’re innocent, why do people keep saying they’re kicking the can down the road, that it’ll go on for two to four years?

“It’s not good when we’re talking about one of the greatest Premier League teams we’ve seen of all-time, and [greatest] managers, that there’s this sort of asterisk above it until it’s sorted out.

“My message to Manchester City would be this needs to get sorted. Sooner rather than later, just for your own reputation. Because there’s no doubt about it, if City are guilty then all this stuff we’re talking about will be tainted.

“In terms of Pep Guardiola, to get to the point of enticing him – the best in class manager they could get – they brought him to the club on the back of [what has led to] these charges.

“These need answering sooner rather than later and we can’t be waiting two to four years, because that is just a mess for Man City and also everybody else in the Premier League.”

Former Man United defender Neville added: “If the rules are in place, you have to abide by them. There is no doubt that for Man City’s owners and executives, if some of the most serious charges were brought forward and be proven guilty, the damage would be longstanding and they would be tainted.

“However, on the other side, if the Premier League were not to see through these charges the damage to their executive would be equally long lasting as well.

“There is a massive pressure moment coming in the next couple of years and it really won’t go away until its dealt with.

“I have to say, we need due process of course but this is a sporting situation not a criminal one. Let’s move it forward and try and get it closed as quickly as possible.”

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