Manuel Pellegrini has insisted that Liverpool ‘could never feel like’ champions if they were to be retrospectively awarded Premier League titles.
Manchester City were charged by the Premier League last month over a series of alleged breaches of Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations, with the allegations covering a nine-year timeframe between 2009/10 and 2017/18 (Sky Sports).
If found guilty, the Etihad Stadium outfit could be subjected to a series of heavy sanctions, including the potential stripping of top-flight titles they lifted between the specified period (i News).
The second of those was won in 2013/14, when Pellegrini’s Sky Blues usurped Liverpool in the closing stages of the season to pip the Reds to the title.
Although some fans have called for City to have those Premier League crowns taken off them and duly handed to the runners-up in those respective campaigns (Daily Express), the Chilean remains vehemently opposed to that idea.
Addressing the notion that his side won the league unfairly, he retorted (via The Telegraph): “If anyone thinks that, they are wrong. It is not tainted. What happened on the pitch is indisputable. I will always feel like a Premier League champion. We won it fairly.
“Even though there might be some sanctions, a team that finished second could never feel like the champion after not winning on the pitch. There may be administrative punishments, but no one will ever be able to take away that title or the emotions we experienced.”
If City are hit hard by sanctions and the 2013/14 Premier League title is retrospectively awarded to Liverpool, it wouldn’t have the same feeling of euphoria which accompanied any of the trophies won under Jurgen Klopp.
However, considering the Manchester club were charged around 100 times for FFP breaches (Sky Sports), it’s hard not to feel the trophies they won in that time weren’t tainted to some degree.
Remember, they were also set to be booted out of European competition by UEFA three seasons ago for flouting financial regulations, although that ban was eventually overturned (Manchester Evening News).
Our fans might sometimes complain about the moderate transfer spending under FSG, but at least our owners live within our means and respect the regulatory parameters within which we must operate.
Pellegrini can expect to get short shrift from Kopites over these remarks.