cheating.” He warned that the club could lose recognition for some of its trophies and discussed a possible relegation to the Football League.
Goodman reacted to reports that Manchester City had been found guilty of 114 charges. He said rival clubs, including Newcastle United and Aston Villa, had reason to feel aggrieved.
According to Goodman, those clubs had to sell key players to meet financial rules, while City continued to spend heavily.
“It’s horrible. It leaves a sour taste in the mouth. I mean, there’s bending the rules, there’s taking advantage of loopholes in the rules, but this is so blatant. There’s no other word for it than cheating,” Goodman told OLBG in an exclusive interview.
He added that Newcastle and Aston Villa would feel angry about the situation. Both clubs have wealthy owners, but financial restrictions limited their ability to invest.
Goodman said those restrictions forced the two clubs to sell some of their best players. He contrasted that situation with Manchester City’s recruitment.
Likely points deduction
Goodman also discussed possible punishments if Manchester City lose their appeal. He suggested that the authorities could impose a substantial points deduction to send the club down to the Championship.
Another possibility could involve sending City to the bottom tier of the English Football League (EFL).
“Look, I may be wrong in terms of the EFL scenario, but I thought I read somewhere that if Manchester City are thrown out of the Premier League, they can’t just go into the Championship. They have to go to the bottom of the EFL, which would obviously be League Two,” Goodman explained.
He suggested that a points deduction could offer an alternative. Such a penalty might relegate City while allowing the club to remain in the Championship.
Goodman admitted that deciding the right punishment would be difficult. He also expressed sympathy for Manchester City’s supporters.
However, he believes the authorities must impose a severe penalty if the appeal fails and the guilty verdict stands.
Comparison with Rangers
Goodman compared Manchester City’s potential situation with Rangers’ demotion in Scottish football. He also believes English Football League clubs could benefit financially from hosting City.
“Yeah, I think the only comparison in modern times is Rangers, really, where they were thrown right to the bottom of the Scottish Football League,” Goodman said.
He believes EFL clubs would welcome Manchester City, despite the serious circumstances surrounding the case.
Goodman pointed out that City attracted large crowds during their previous spell in League One. Their travelling supporters also brought significant numbers to away matches.
For that reason, he does not expect EFL clubs to oppose City’s temporary arrival in the competition.
He also expects Manchester City to rebuild quickly if they drop into the lower divisions. Goodman believes the club’s resources could help them return to the Premier League and challenge for major honours again.
Achievements tarnished
On the long-term impact on Man City’s legacy, Goodman warned that official records may ultimately show no trophy wins during this era, even if fans hold onto their matchday memories.
“Whatever has been achieved in these years where financial rules have been broken, it’s tarnished. It’s tainted.
“Just as in any other sport, when rules are broken and they haven’t been adhered to, the achievement is totally tarnished, isn’t it?” Goodman added.
“Look, history is going to show, I suspect, that titles and trophies will be stripped.
“I don’t think they’ll be awarded to the teams that were runners-up, but I do think history may show that Man City won nothing during that period in a hundred years from now.
“I think their achievements in this period will be expunged.
“But the memories of watching some brilliant teams win a lot of things on a regular basis in style, there will be a lot of fans who are going to cherish those memories forever.
“You won’t ever take away those magnificent days and nights that the fans experienced because they’re real.
“That’s what they experienced at the time, even if people are going to say it was tarnished.”
