Gary Neville says Manchester City’s guilty verdict has left the Premier League’s reputation at risk, warning that English football is being “dragged through the mud” in the eyes of a global audience.
The explosive ruling issued this week found City guilty on almost all of the charges brought against them. It also alleged that the club benefited from sham arrangements worth around £900 million, sending shockwaves through football and beyond.
Neville believes the damage to what he describes as Britain’s biggest global export could endure for years.
The former Manchester United defender fears the Premier League could suffer a fate similar to Serie A, whose international standing fell sharply after the 2006 Calciopoli scandal. That case exposed the alleged influence of Italian clubs over referees, with Juventus stripped of titles and relegated to Serie B.
Speaking on the latest episode of the Stick to Football podcast, Neville said the verdict was alarming rather than something to celebrate. “I’m chilled by this. This is chilling, not celebratory,” he said.
“I support Manchester United, you support Liverpool, and you were Arsenal. But it is chilling to listen to this. Italian football has suffered immeasurably over the past 25 years. We played against Juventus and, at the time, felt that something was not right. I’m not saying the same thing will happen to the Premier League, but we have always believed this league has enormous integrity.
Gary Neville fears Manchester City’s guilty verdict could cause lasting damage to the Premier League
“We have viewed ourselves as the competition that sets the standard, while other leagues were associated with corruption, fraud, doping, match-fixing and referee scandals. Now, this is coming to our country and our league. The Premier League is the greatest export we have.”
Neville continued: “If you travel around the world and mention Liverpool, Manchester United or Arsenal, people immediately think of the Premier League.
“People talk about the Premier League more than almost anything else when you tell them where you are from. Right now, though, we are being dragged through the mud.”
Despite the independent commission’s comprehensive findings, Manchester City remain determined to challenge the verdict through an appeal.
The appeal process and the prospect of significant sanctions mean the controversy is unlikely to disappear soon. The case now threatens to overshadow the current campaign as well as the achievements of the previous decade.
As the fallout continues, Neville fears the scandal could further damage the Premier League’s reputation across international markets.
Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has also faced criticism for what opponents called a “tone-deaf” response to the verdict. Burnham expressed concern about the possibility of Manchester City losing their Abu Dhabi-based owners.
Speaking at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium, Burnham said: “I would be really concerned to lose Manchester City’s Abu Dhabi owners.
“They have been a major partner in the development of modern Manchester and, clearly, in transforming Manchester City into the global force it is today.
“I cannot intervene in the process, and it would be wrong for me to do so. I also think it would be wrong to reach a conclusion before studying all the details. The matter remains ongoing, and because Manchester City are contesting it, I believe it is right that I say no more.”
Former footballer Stan Collymore described Burnham’s expression of concern as “tone deaf”, pointing to the “clunky” remarks as an example of how sportswashing can shape public discussion.
Rio Ferdinand said Burnham appeared to be “on the back foot” while discussing Manchester City, although other contributors were even more critical of the mayor’s comments.
“This is political interference,” one commenter wrote. “He is already presenting them as a positive influence and making clear that he does not want them to leave. That is unacceptable interference, particularly if it influences the government’s proposed football regulator.”
Another added: ‘Absolutely disgusting statement from the PM. He’s basically saying you can cheat the system all you want if you pay enough. Just shows what sort of morals he really has’.
The row spilling over into the highest levels of politics shows the enormity of the biggest cheating scandal in British sporting history and would appear to validate Neville’s fears about how the Premier League could now suffer as a result.
