Rio Ferdinand demands ex-Man City star 'hand-deliver' Premier League medal to him if they have titles stripped
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Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has demanded that a former Manchester City player 'hand-deliver' his winners' medal to him if the club are stripped of their Premier League titles.
City were charged with 115 alleged rule breaches by the Premier League in February, with most of those breaches relating to the club's finances.
The matter will be reviewed by an independent commission, although an outcome is not expected for several years.
In an official statement following the announcement of the charges, City said they were 'surprised' at the issuing of the charges.
The case has come under the microscope in recent days following the news that Everton have received a 10-point deduction for breaching the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules.
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The harshness of the punishment was criticised by the Toffees in a club statement, while Liverpool, West Derby MP Ian Byrne has tabled an early day motion to debate the sanction in Parliament, describing it as 'grossly unjust'.
Speaking on his YouTube channel FIVE, former United defender Ferdinand spoke about the charges levelled at City.
Specifically, Ferdinand brought up the 2011/12 season, in which City won the Premier League through Sergio Aguero's infamous last-minute winner at the expense of Sir Alex Ferguson's side.
Football finance Kieran Maguire told Sky Sports in February that it would be 'difficult' for clubs to prove that they missed out on titles because of City if they are found guilty of any breaches - but the possibility of titles changing hands in such a case doesn't appear to be impossible.
And Ferdinand jokingly took aim at Joleon Lescott, who was a key member of the City team that won the league title that season under Roberto Mancini.
He exclaimed: "If anything happens with City, and they get punished... Joleon, I want your medal hand-delivered to my house, and I am wearing that medal.
"That Aguero moment has gone, so Joleon, just make sure you bring the medal!"
Speaking about the charges earlier this year, City boss Pep Guardiola urged the relevant bodies to make a quick decision on the outcome of the case.
He said: "If we have done something wrong, everybody will know it and, if we are like we believe as a club for many years, [done things] in the right way, then the people will stop talking about it.
"Hopefully they are not so busy and the judges can see both sides and decide what is the best, because in the end I know fairly what we won on the pitch and we don't have any doubts.
"Let's go. Don't wait two years. Why don't we do it quicker? In 24 hours, sit down with lawyers present. Let's have it as soon as possible for the benefit of everyone."
Featured Image Credit: Getty / FIVE
Topics: Rio Ferdinand, Manchester United, Manchester City, Premier League
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