Scholes Revives Demand for Manchester City Medals
Paul Scholes has renewed his call for Manchester City’s Premier League titles from the period under investigation to be removed and the corresponding winners’ medals handed to other players.
The former Manchester United midfielder made the comments after a disagreement with fellow former England international Martin Keown, who argued that any affected seasons should instead be declared void.
Scholes’ position is partly linked to his own experience of losing the 2011-12 Premier League title to Manchester City on the final day of the season.
Keown Rejects Scholes’ Proposal
Keown criticised Scholes’ demand during an appearance on talkSPORT, questioning why the former United midfielder would want additional medals when he already won numerous Premier League titles during his career.
“How many does he need?” Keown said, while making clear that he believed any titles affected by the case should simply be declared void.
Keown’s view is that if Manchester City’s trophies from the relevant period are removed, the seasons should not automatically be reassigned to another club.
Scholes Responds to His Former Rival
Scholes did not accept Keown’s argument and responded directly on social media.
Addressing the suggestion that the seasons should be voided, Scholes told Keown to “do one” with what he described as the “void season” argument.
He also responded to comments from Simon Jordan, who had questioned whether Scholes was deliberately adopting more controversial positions.
Scholes replied to Jordan with the phrase, “Pot, Kettle, Black.”
The 2011-12 Title Remains Central to the Argument
Scholes’ interest in the issue is particularly notable because Manchester City famously overtook Manchester United on the final day of the 2011-12 campaign.
Sergio Aguero’s stoppage-time goal against Queens Park Rangers secured the title for City in one of the most memorable finishes in Premier League history.
Scholes had been part of the United side that narrowly missed out on the championship, giving the current debate an additional personal dimension.
Premier League Found City Guilty of Multiple Breaches
The argument comes after the Premier League announced findings concerning Manchester City’s financial conduct between 2009 and 2018.
According to the league’s findings, City were found guilty of 114 of 115 alleged breaches following a lengthy investigation.
The club has denied wrongdoing and is appealing the findings.
The charges relate to the club’s financial reporting, sponsorship arrangements and alleged failures to cooperate with the investigation.
League Alleges Financial Figures Were Artificially Inflated
The Premier League said City used arrangements with commercial partners that it described as “sham” agreements.
According to the league, some sponsorship arrangements did not reflect the actual financial agreements between the parties and were used to increase the club’s reported revenue.
The Premier League said the arrangements involved approximately £900 million in artificially inflated revenue and reduced costs during the period examined.
Disputed Sponsorship Arrangements Under Scrutiny
The league’s findings also concerned sponsorship payments involving companies associated with the club.
According to the Premier League, sponsors paid only part of certain agreed amounts, with the remainder being supported by the Abu Dhabi United Group Investment & Development Ltd, which owned Manchester City.
The league argued that the arrangements resulted in City recording higher commercial revenue than it would otherwise have reported.
Spending Rules Form a Major Part of the Case
The Premier League said the reported financial figures affected City’s ability to comply with spending regulations.
The league’s findings stated that the club would have been in substantial breach of Premier League and UEFA spending limits had its finances been accurately reported.
It also alleged that further arrangements funded through ADUG reduced the club’s reported operating expenses.
The Premier League said the combined effect was to present a financial position that did not accurately reflect the club’s underlying finances.
Investigation Also Examined Cooperation
The case was not limited to financial reporting.
The Premier League said City breached duties relating to cooperation and good faith during its investigation.
According to the league, the investigation began after emails connected to the club were obtained by a hacker, and investigators later accused City of taking steps designed to obstruct or frustrate the process.
Manchester City has maintained its position that it is innocent and is challenging the findings through the appropriate appeal process.
What Happens to the Titles Remains Unclear
Scholes’ demand for the medals highlights a separate question from the legal and regulatory proceedings: what should happen to trophies won during seasons affected by the findings if the club’s appeal is unsuccessful?
There is currently a disagreement among former players and pundits over whether titles should be reassigned, left vacant or treated differently.
For Scholes, the issue is personal as well as sporting, given Manchester United’s narrow defeat to City in 2012.
For Keown, however, removing a title would not necessarily mean awarding it to another club.
The debate is likely to continue while Manchester City’s appeal and the wider consequences of the Premier League’s findings remain unresolved.
