Wayne Rooney does not want Manchester City to be stripped of the 2011-12 Premier League title as punishment for its breaches of the competition’s financial rules, believing it would be unfair for the players and staff who worked hard to win the league.
Rooney was in the Manchester United squad that lost out by goal difference as City won its first English top-flight title in over four decades with a stoppage-time comeback.
But after City was found guilty on 114 of 115 charges, it is facing severe potential sanctions including relegation and loss of titles, although enforcement is far off with the club expected to appeal. City has consistently denied wrongdoing.
Rooney’s former teammates Rio Ferdinand and David de Gea suggested it should be awarded the retrospective title in social media posts, but Rooney told the “Stick to United” podcast that United did not earn it.
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“I wouldn’t feel comfortable about accepting another Premier League medal if I’m being honest, because I don’t think we deserve it. We didn’t do enough that season to win the league,” Rooney said in an interview released on Tuesday.
“I’m thinking as their players, they’re there doing everything they can to win the Premier League title and in their minds they’ve done it.
“And, if those players have got no understanding of what’s going on above them, then if that happened to me, if all of a sudden Manchester United have been doing the same and I’m getting my Premier League medals taken away from me, I’d be absolutely devastated.”
The former England forward, however, was in favour of City receiving a harsh punishment, including relegation and financial restrictions.
“I’d put them in the lowest league they can go in and then put restrictions on them in terms of how much money they can spend for the next three or four seasons,” he said.
Published on Sep 29, 2026