Arsene Wenger seems like a genius now after his comments about Man City cheating 15 years ago.
Fifteen years ago, Arsene Wenger warned that Manchester City might be bending UEFA’s financial rules—and now, his concerns seem spot on.
On September 25, it was revealed that Man City was found guilty of 114 out of 115 charges after an independent investigation. A few days later, the Premier League confirmed that City broke financial rules between 2008/09 and 2017/18—a time when they won three league titles.
The independent commission discovered that the club had set up “sham contracts” and “sham agreements” to make their income look bigger and costs smaller than they really were. According to the Premier League, City used hidden funding schemes worth over £830 million with commercial partners.
Because of this, many people are calling for City to lose the three league titles they won during those years. Other possible punishments include losing points, being kicked out or relegated from the top league, or facing a transfer ban.
Arsene Wenger, who managed Arsenal from 1996 to 2018, seemed to suspect this all along. Back in 2011, he accused Man City of trying to dodge UEFA’s financial fair-play rules after they signed a £400 million sponsorship with Etihad Airways. He urged Michel Platini, UEFA’s president at the time, to investigate.
Wenger told The Guardian in 2011, “It raises the real question about the credibility of financial fair play. They are sending a message that they can sidestep the rules, and that makes the whole system pointless. If sponsorship deals aren’t at market value, then the rules don’t really work. If the rules are there, they need to be followed.”
Now, fifteen years later, Wenger’s words seem more true than ever. Out of the 114 charges, 54 were about providing false financial information, including faking sponsorship and commercial income.
City still says they’re innocent after releasing a long statement on social media. But Wenger believes their reputation is “worthless” after all this.
He said, “Man City might be lucky and only get a fine or a transfer ban, but I trust England. A country that respects tradition might never accept City the same way again. Nothing they do will be celebrated like before. Their legacy is ruined. At every game, they’ll be called ‘cheats,’ and their players will know their achievements don’t mean as much. That’s the real punishment—not just what happens in courts or on the pitch, but how people will remember them.”
Man City has until Friday, October 2, to appeal the verdict. The appeal should finish within 12 weeks, and then we’ll know what punishments they’ll face.