Gary Lineker says Manchester City should accept whatever punishment follows their guilty verdict and move on. He said the case is “of course really bad for Manchester City, and also bad for the sport”, and added that the club should take responsibility rather than keep fighting it. City were found guilty on most charges after a four-year investigation into serious breaches of financial rules covering the period from 2009 to 2018, and they have already lodged an appeal.
Lineker's case for owning the verdict
Speaking to SPORT1 in German, Lineker said: “That's why I would love it if ManCity would now take responsibility and say: 'Okay, we made a mistake, but for the good of the sport we will accept that, we will accept any punishment that comes our way, and we will move on.'” He repeated the same theme to goal.com, saying: “So, I'd love to see City now just own it and just say, 'OK, we got it wrong but for the good of the game, we'll accept it, accept whatever punishment comes our way and we'll carry on.”
The force of his argument is that delay only deepens the damage. Lineker said: “It looks really bad for Manchester City,” and warned that the longer the issue drags on, the worse it becomes for the club and for the game around it.
The sanctions and the Rangers warning
Lineker did go further than a general plea for contrition. He said: “I wouldn't be surprised if it goes down the route of titles being stripped.” He also said severe punishment would hit “players and fans” most, which is the part of this story that tends to get lost when the focus turns into legal trench warfare.
Manchester City are still pressing ahead with their appeal, so the case is not over. Goal also reported that a final resolution was anticipated in January, while the broader reporting around the hearing has kept open the possibility of fines, transfer embargoes and a points deduction.
The Rangers comparison gives the warnings some hard context. Rangers entered administration in February of the 2011-12 season and were hit with a 10-point deduction. They finished second, 20 points behind champions Celtic, and after liquidation, 10 of the 12 top-flight clubs voted against Rangers' application to stay in the top tier, while 25 of the 30 SFL clubs voted for them to go into the fourth tier instead.
City's own league form only makes the off-field story stranger. They are top of the Premier League with 15 points from 5 matches and have won five straight league games. Their next league fixture is away to Liverpool on 2026-10-11, before a Champions League home game against Paris Saint Germain on 2026-10-14.
FAQ
Will Manchester City accept any punishment in their appeal case?
Gary Lineker says Manchester City should take responsibility and accept whatever punishment comes their way. He said the case is bad for the club and bad for the sport, and warned the damage will grow if the appeal drags on.
Could Manchester City face title stripping or points deductions?
Lineker said he would not be surprised if the case goes down the route of titles being stripped. The coverage also says the club could face fines, transfer embargoes or a points deduction, but the appeal is still ongoing.
Why is Rangers being mentioned in the Manchester City punishment debate?
BBC's Rangers comparison shows how severe football punishments can spill beyond one club. Rangers entered administration in February of the 2011-12 season, were hit with a 10-point deduction, finished second 20 points behind Celtic, and then dropped to the fourth tier after liquidation.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →
