'Hand it over!' - Rio Ferdinand demands Joleon Lescott return Premier League medal as Man Utd legend calls for Man City titles to be stripped after guilty verdict

Manchester City are bracing for severe sanctions after being found guilty of the vast majority of their 115 financial charges. While an appeal is virtually certain, the club faces unprecedented punishments, ranging from points deductions and heavy fines to the potential stripping of major honours.

If those titles are revoked, the 2011-12 Premier League crown - infamously secured by Sergio Aguero's dramatic late winner - could be retroactively awarded to runners-up Manchester United. This prospect has prompted former Red Devils defender Ferdinand to publicly demand that the history books be rewritten.

Speaking on Rio Ferdinand Presents, the former England centre-back took aim at his ex-international team-mate Lescott. "Next time Joleon's on, he better bring my b****y medal," Ferdinand joked. "If you're found guilty, then I think you should have to give the medals back."

He continued his playful yet firm stance on the matter, revealing his plans for Lescott. "When I see Joleon, I'm actually going to go to his house and just say, 'Listen, hand it over. Hand it over'," Ferdinand added. "You can't really sit there and say that you were champions, can you? Or you won that or you won that. Well, they're not going to have to pay any fines. They're not going to get relegated. Just hand over the trophy. Hand over the medals, hand over the trophy. Simple as."

Ferdinand was quick to clarify that he does not hold the players responsible for the boardroom breaches. "They've been the best team in the country by a country mile, right? And they've had the best manager here," he added. "But again, if found guilty, there need to be relevant punishments and that's what has to be put in place.

"So, we have to just sit and wait. Again, the killer for this is that it's took this long. That's that. But... can we still admire some of the football and some of the moments that they had? Of course you can. You can still admire.

"And again, I'll reiterate the players aren't to blame in this. There's people that are in much more powerful positions and authority positions within the football clubs that make all these decisions. So, I wouldn't place any of the blame on any of the players shoulders, but they're going to be looked at differently and it's inevitable because that's just the way it is."

Ferdinand had already made his feelings clear on social media last Friday. He confidently posted on X: "Another Premier League medal to be added to the cabinet."

If City do lose the trophies won during their era of financial irregularities, United stand to inherit two league championships from the 2011-12 and 2017-18 campaigns. The ripple effect would also benefit other Premier League rivals. Liverpool, who finished as runners-up during Ferdinand's final season at Old Trafford in 2013-14, would see that championship retrospectively handed to Anfield.

City and their supporters face a tense waiting game as the exact severity of their punishment is decided. The club will inevitably launch a robust appeal, meaning a final resolution could still be months away. Until then, City's squad must attempt to maintain their focus on the pitch while the looming threat of historic sanctions casts a shadow over their past achievements.