Micah Richards 'devastated' after commission finds Man City guilty of financial breaches
September 30, 2026 12:20
Former Manchester City defender Micah Richards has described himself as "absolutely devastated" after an independent Premier League commission found City arranged "sham contracts" with commercial partners to disguise secret funding of more than £830m.
The commission concluded the club breached financial rules in relation to seasons between 2009-10 and 2017-18 and found City guilty of all charges tied to those breaches. It also found the club guilty of all but one charge connected to a failure to co-operate with the investigation.
REACTIONS
Richards, who came through City's academy and was part of the 2011-12 title-winning squad, told The Rest is Football podcast the wording in the report was "damning". He said: "The reports were troubling... I saw the words which were used by the Premier League in 'sham contracts' and I felt absolutely devastated." He added the headlines have been "difficult" for former players and long-term supporters, recalling a local family who had been in tears and seeking answers he did not have.
Manchester City continue to deny wrongdoing. Club chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said in a statement the club remains confident it can prove its innocence, and chief executive Ferran Soriano said in a video message that "irrefutable evidence" had been "ignored" by the commission.
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, speaking on Sky Sports News, said he sympathised with players and argued the club's titles should be removed. He said: "I feel for the players... they'll almost feel like a lot of their career is going to have an asterisk, or a lot of people will be calling it a sham." He added: "Those players will never get that feeling and it was robbed by Man City."
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
City have until 2 October to submit an appeal against the commission's findings.