Herrera frustrated by missed title chance
Herrera has expressed his bitterness over City's recent financial rule breaches. The Spaniard believes he was deprived of a Premier League title during his five-year stint at Old Trafford.
The Cityzens were recently found guilty of almost all the 100-plus charges relating to serious breaches of financial regulations between 2009 and 2018. During that period, Herrera won four trophies with United, but the league title eluded him.
Mourinho compared to The Simpsons
The 37-year-old reflected on the 2017-18 campaign, where United finished second under Jose Mourinho, 19 points adrift of their local rivals. Herrera praised his former manager for predicting the controversy years in advance. Speaking to the Mario Suarez podcast, Herrera did not hold back his frustration regarding the situation.
"I would have a Premier League title," he said. "It really changes the picture when you have a Premier League. It was the year when Mourinho said that bit about 'I give a lot of credit to this second-place finish because nobody knows what's going on behind the scenes'.
"Mou is like The Simpsons - whatever he says, it ends up happening. And he'd already been saying that something strange was going on. You have to follow the rules, and what was happening wasn't right - we all realised that. I've had friends who've come to Manchester and they couldn't get tickets to go to Old Trafford, yet the ones for the Etihad were being given away for free. They don't have the fan base, but they spend as if they did."
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Calls for a severe precedent
Despite his anger towards the club's hierarchy, Herrera offered sympathy to Pep Guardiola and his squad. He stated that the current players and manager deserve all the credit in the world for their on-pitch achievements.
"Nothing to say about the players, nothing to say about the manager [Pep Guardiola]," he noted. "They deserve all the credit in the world for what they've achieved. If I were a Manchester City player, I'd be angry, I'd be furious with those in charge because they've tarnished and cast doubt on everything the team has achieved over the years."
Herrera added: "For me, it has to be something big, something that sets a precedent. It has to set a precedent so that the next person who says, 'I'm going to inflate the revenue illegally' will think, 'No, I won't do it because I'll get relegated'. The damage they [Man City] have caused is obviously irreparable."
Awaiting the final sanctions decision
The footballing world continues to wait for the official sanctions to be handed down to City. While calls for them to be stripped of titles grow louder, the exact punishment remains undetermined.
Meanwhile, Herrera continues his playing career with his boyhood club Real Zaragoza. After a stint with Argentine side Boca Juniors, the veteran midfielder is now helping Zaragoza as they compete in the third tier of Spanish football.