Gerrard calls for multi-year sanctions against Manchester City

“They need to suffer”: Steven Gerrard is calling for multi-year sanctions against Manchester City. The former Liverpool figure spoke on Monday about the measures the Premier League should take against the club. He is not advocating relegation or the removal of trophies, but instead wants extremely firm punishments lasting several years.

Speaking on “Overlap Daily”, Gerrard argued for an exemplary punishment “for the good of football”. He says he has come to terms with never winning the Premier League and missing out in that respect. He would not want to receive a medal from the competition or ask for one like Manchester City’s. That, he made clear, does not mean he wants leniency: he wants the Premier League to take a firm approach when deciding what to do about the Manchester club.

The former midfielder rules out a drop to the Championship. In his view, that would be unfair to the competition: Manchester City could bounce back, while the teams facing it every week and those hoping to move up a division would be disadvantaged. To make his point, Gerrard referred to Manchester City’s 3-0 win over Liverpool the previous day.

Instead, he proposed a transfer ban and points penalties over a set period. “You have to set an example,” he insisted, saying the club had abused its power for nine or ten years. He also acknowledged that he would probably react as Manchester City’s players have if Liverpool were in a comparable position, while maintaining that behind the scenes they know severe sanctions are needed “for the good of football, the Premier League, the brand, the whole world”.

The media continue to focus on the sanctions to come, while Manchester City strongly contests the accusations. The scandal has shaken British football since the club was found guilty of financial misconduct between 2009 and 2018. Gerrard believes the penalties must be severe and imposed quickly to prevent a repeat.