Former Manchester United midfielder Ander Herrera has expressed deep frustration over the Premier League title that he believes was denied to his former club because of Manchester City’s extensive rule‑breaching scandal. The Spanish midfielder, who played for United from 2014 to 2019 and is now with Real Zaragoza, told the Mario Suárez podcast that the 2023‑24 season’s findings should have led to City being stripped of the three league titles won between 2012 and 2021.
City were found guilty of almost all of the 100-plus charges of serious breaches of Premier League financial regulations covering the period from 2009 to 2018. Herrera said that the discovery of the violations “really changes the picture” and that he would have been a Premier League champion had the club not been involved in the misconduct. He recalled that during his time at Old Trafford he won four trophies but never a league title, with the 2017‑18 campaign ending in a second‑place finish 19 points behind City under José Mourinho.
“I was in a situation where I could have won a Premier League title,” Herrera said. “It changes everything when you have a Premier League title.” He added that Mourinho had hinted at “something strange” happening behind the scenes, and that fans had noticed discrepancies in ticket allocations between Old Trafford and the Etihad. “You have to follow the rules, and what was happening wasn’t right – we all realised that,” he said.
Herrera also expressed sympathy for City’s players and staff, stating that they deserved credit for their achievements. “If I were a City player, I’d be angry; I’d be furious with those in charge because they’ve tarnished and cast doubt on everything the team has achieved over the years,” he said. He echoed former United teammate Wayne Rooney’s call for a significant punishment, describing the damage as “irreparable.” Herrera suggested that sanctions should set a precedent to deter future revenue‑inflation schemes, citing Nottingham Forest’s four‑point deduction in 2022‑23 and Everton’s 10‑point penalty in 2021‑22 as examples.
The Premier League has yet to announce the final sanctions, but the debate continues over whether City should lose their titles and how the punishment might affect clubs like Tottenham, who finished fifth for three consecutive years and missed out on Champions League qualification, incurring a financial hit. The outcome of the investigation will likely shape the future of the league’s financial regulations and the legacy of the clubs involved.