Carrick: Medals can’t replace the feeling of winning as Man City case drags on

Abdullateef Fowewe

Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick has spoken for the first time about Manchester City’s guilty verdict in their long-running Premier League financial charges case, saying the outcome has raised many questions and affected him personally.

Speaking ahead of United’s match against Tottenham, Carrick said of the prospect of titles being reassigned, “I think at the moment, it’s not finalised. I think I’ll hold that one until later on.”

He added that retrospective medals would not recreate the emotion of victory, “But a medal here and there does not bring the feeling back for winning.”

He described the experience of competing for major trophies as “the moment that you strive for.”

Carrick, who played for United during the period under scrutiny and was part of sides that finished second to City in 2011-12 and 2017-18, said the case had “thrown up a lot of questions, some have had answers, some haven’t.”

He called for a swift resolution, stating it was “essential” for everyone involved and noting that the situation had affected him “personally in different ways over a period of time.”

An independent commission found Manchester City guilty last month of all charges relating to breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules across nine seasons between 2009-10 and 2017-18, including the use of “sham” contracts that artificially inflated revenues by hundreds of millions of pounds.

The club was also found to have failed to cooperate fully with the investigation.

City deny wrongdoing, have lodged an appeal, and sanctions have yet to be determined.

Possible outcomes under discussion include points deductions, fines, or the stripping of titles.

Carrick stressed the unique nature of the situation at the highest level of the game and the importance of clarity so clubs and players can move forward, whatever the final outcome.