'Cheating on an industrial scale!' - Ian Wright demands unprecedented punishment as Manchester City found guilty

Wright did not hold back during his ITV punditry when discussing the recent verdict against Manchester City. The Premier League announced on Tuesday that City had been found guilty of serious financial breaches over a nine-season period.

The club allegedly used disguised funding schemes to inflate revenue and reduce costs by more than £900 million. Reacting to the bombshell news, Wright said, "It’s cheating on an industrial scale. It’s quite surreal seeing it written down like that. You can’t mention City without mentioning what’s going on because they were so great. I feel like an unprecedented punishment is required here."

Roy Keane also addressed the seismic update, describing the situation as bittersweet due to the negative impact it will have on English football. Keane pointed out that while rule-breakers must face consequences, the scandal hurts the global reputation of the division.

Keane explained, "It’s very damaging for the League. The brand of the Premier League is huge all over the world and it’s been fantastic but for them to be caught cheating then they, obviously, deserve that punishment. It’s bittersweet. It’s a good day because if you’re caught cheating in this game then you deserve to be punished but it’s not good for the league."

The implications of the ruling will likely hang over the current squad. Keane questioned the mindset of the players, particularly with huge fixtures looming, asking, "They play Liverpool in a couple of weeks, what about the players that have been part of the problem over the last few years with the cheating? What happens going forward?" Meanwhile, Wright believes the legal battles will drag on for a significant amount of time. He added, "It’s a massive day for the Premier League, they’ve taken on a whole country. It’s going to get so litigious now, I think it’s going to go on for so long. It’s so sad."

Manchester City continue to maintain their absolute innocence and have until Friday to appeal against the verdict of the independent commission. With both sides preparing for a protracted legal war, fans must now wait to see what sanctions will ultimately be imposed on the club.