Manchester United manager, Michael Carrick, has raised questions about Manchester City’s ongoing Premier League financial case, saying the proceedings have affected him personally and should be resolved as soon as possible.
An independent commission found City guilty of multiple breaches of the Premier League’s financial regulations relating to the period between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons. The club has appealed against the findings.
Carrick was involved in several of Manchester United’s title battles with City during that period, including the 2011-12 season when Sergio Aguero’s stoppage-time goal against Queens Park Rangers secured City’s first Premier League title.
He was also part of Jose Mourinho’s squad when United finished runners-up to City in 2017-18 and served on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s coaching staff when United finished second in 2020-21.
Carrick said the possibility of being awarded a title retrospectively would not replace the emotions associated with winning it on the pitch.
“In football, the strive to win, the emotion and the feeling about winning, a lot of it is in the moment,” he said.
“You can’t take that back. It’s the moment you strive for. That’s essentially what we’re all in it for. That’s the feeling we all crave.”
He added that the journey towards winning a trophy and the final outcome were central to the experience, regardless of what might happen years later.
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“The beauty of trying to win trophies is a little bit the journey towards it and then the finale. Does it go for you, does it go against you? Once that’s done, there’s no getting that back in any direction,” Carrick said.
The United manager admitted that he still had questions about the case but declined to say whether City’s titles should be reassigned, pending the outcome of the appeal.
“Certainly, I’ve got my own questions about it. It’s affected me personally in different ways over a period of time,” he said.
“As it’s still not finalised, I think I’ll hold that one (whether titles should be reassigned) until later on.”
Carrick, however, stressed the need for a speedy conclusion, given the scale of the case and its potential implications for English football.
“What I will say is that the sooner it gets sorted, for everyone’s benefit, is essential,” he said.
“It’s unprecedented, a unique situation to be in at this level, with such a huge impact in so many ways. We all need to know what’s going to happen.”
City manager Enzo Maresca has expressed confidence in the club, while Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has also backed his former employers and said he would respect the ongoing process.
If the appeal follows the Premier League’s stipulated timetable, it is expected to conclude by Christmas Day, with a verdict anticipated in early 2027.
Meanwhile, Manchester United supporters have rehung a banner at the Stretford End highlighting the years since City last won a major trophy before their 2011 FA Cup triumph. The updated banner displays the number 50, referring to the years since City’s 1976 League Cup victory.
