Premier League12 min ago1 minute read

Kyle Walker Defends Manchester City Legacy After Financial Ruling

Former captain Kyle Walker insists that Manchester City's trophy-winning years cannot be stripped from the players despite financial rule breaches.

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Walker Speaks Out on City Appeal

Former Manchester City captain Kyle Walker has defended the club's trophy-winning legacy. An independent commission recently ruled that City broke Premier League financial rules between 2009 to 2010 and 2017 to 2018.

Walker spent eight years with City from 2017 to 2025. During his time there, he won the Champions League and 12 major domestic honours. Now playing as a right-back for Burnley, he shared his thoughts on talkSPORT about the ruling and the club's appeal.

Walker admitted that the situation does not look great. However, he insisted that the achievements on the pitch remain real for the squad. He said that "whatever happens, they can't take away from us because we've experienced them nights."

The Scale of the Charges

The independent commission found that Manchester City used more than 830 million pounds, or 1.08 billion dollars, of owner funding to inflate their revenues. The commission called these "sham" arrangements. They took place over a nine-year period to help the club comply with Premier League and UEFA financial rules.

Manchester City released a statement last Friday to announce their appeal. The club stated that the commission's opinion contains clear errors of law, principle, and fact. They maintain that they are innocent and have a comprehensive body of evidence to support their position.

Walker noted that it is a difficult topic for former players to discuss. He said players want to be remembered for winning trophies the right way. He added that the fans who travelled across the country and abroad to Istanbul for the treble deserved those special nights as well.

What it means for the next game

Liverpool vs Manchester City (Premier League, Sun, 11 Oct): Liverpool win 34%, draw 26%, Manchester City win 40%; expected goals 1.39 to 1.53. Our safest pick: Over 1.5 goals.

Manchester City vs Paris Saint-Germain (Champions League, Wed, 14 Oct): Manchester City win 45%, draw 24%, Paris Saint-Germain win 31%; expected goals 1.79 to 1.45. Our safest pick: Over 1.5 goals.