Rio Ferdinand wants former Man City star to give back Premier League medal as a tough punishment is suggested
Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has called on Manchester City’s 2011/12 Premier League winners to give up their Premier League medals after the 115-charge verdict was dropped on Friday (September 25).
It was reported that City was found guilty of nearly all 115 charges from the Premier League, with possible punishments including points deductions, expulsion from the league, big fines, and losing trophies.
Ferdinand, who was part of Sir Alex Ferguson’s United team that finished second to City in 2011/12, thinks City’s players should hand over their medals from that season.
On his show Rio Ferdinand Presents, he joked that former City defender Joleon Lescott should give his medal back, saying: “When I see Joleon, I’m actually going to go to his house and say, ‘Listen, hand it over. Hand it over’. You can’t really say you were champions, can you? Or that you won that.”
He added, “They won’t have to pay fines or get relegated. Just hand over the trophy and the medals. Simple as.”
Ferdinand also quickly tweeted when the verdict came out, joking: “Another Premier League medal to be added to the cabinet.”
He already has six Premier League titles from his time at Manchester United, which ended in 2014 when he joined Queens Park Rangers.
“They’ve been the best team in the country by a long way,” he said on his YouTube channel. “And they’ve had the best manager here. But if they’re found guilty, there need to be proper punishments.”
“But we have to wait now. The worst part is this took so long. But can we still enjoy their football and moments? Of course. And the players aren’t to blame.”
“There are people with more power in the clubs who make these decisions. I wouldn’t blame the players, but people will see them differently now. That’s just how it is.”
City also won the league in 2013/14 while United finished seventh and Liverpool were runners-up.
All 115 charges relate to a period from 2009 to 2018, during which City won three Premier League titles.
An independent commission looked into the case between September and December 2024.
Even though the verdict shocked football worldwide, City’s CEO Ferran Soriano and chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak vow to prove the club is innocent.
City says they have “a lot of strong evidence” to support their case.
For more details, you can check out the full list of charges against City and reactions from football figures like Roy Keane.