Wayne Rooney has revealed that he would not want another Premier League medal if Manchester City lost the 2011/12 title, even though he believes the club should face one of the strongest possible punishments.
Wayne Rooney makes surprising decision over Man City title after historic verdict
Wayne Rooney has revealed that he would not want to receive another Premier League medal if Manchester City were stripped of the 2011/12 title.
The former Manchester United striker has spoken about what should happen if City eventually lose titles because of their financial case.
United finished second behind City in one of the most dramatic title races in Premier League history.
But Rooney says he would not feel comfortable being awarded the championship more than a decade later.
Rooney does not want another medal
Speaking on the Stick to United podcast, Rooney made his position clear.
He said:
“I wouldn’t feel comfortable about accepting another Premier League medal.”
Rooney explained that Manchester United had their chance to win the title on the pitch.
They failed to do enough during the season and eventually lost the championship to City on goal difference.
For that reason, Rooney does not believe he should now receive another winner’s medal.
United lost famous 2011/12 title race
The 2011/12 season remains one of the most famous in Premier League history.
Manchester United and Manchester City finished level on points.
City won the title because of their superior goal difference.
The championship was decided in dramatic fashion when Sergio Agüero scored a late winner against Queens Park Rangers on the final day.
That goal gave City their first Premier League title and left United without the trophy.
Rooney believes the way the season ended is one reason he would not want the result changed years later.
Rooney does not want City titles removed
Rooney’s position goes beyond his own medal.
He also said he would not support taking Premier League titles away from City’s players.
The former England captain believes footballers and coaching staff may not have known anything about financial decisions made at boardroom level.
Rooney said it would be extremely difficult for players to lose trophies they had won on the pitch because of decisions made above them.
He suggested he would feel devastated if one of his own titles was removed years later for something he did not know about.
But Rooney still wants a huge punishment
However, Rooney is not arguing that Manchester City should escape punishment.
In fact, his suggested sanction is extremely severe.
Rooney said:
“I’d put them in the lowest league they can go in.”
He also suggested City should face major limits on how much money they are allowed to spend for several seasons.
That means Rooney supports a very strong punishment for the club while still opposing the removal of medals from individual players.
Rooney suggests financial restrictions
The former United striker believes relegation alone may not be enough.
He suggested City could also face spending restrictions for three or four years.
That would make it much more difficult for the club to immediately rebuild after any sporting punishment.
Rooney’s idea is that the punishment should affect the club directly rather than rewrite old results for players who competed on the pitch.
Rooney takes different view from former teammates
Rooney’s position is different from some of his former Manchester United teammates.
Rio Ferdinand has previously suggested he would be happy to receive another Premier League medal if City lost the 2011/12 title.
Other former United players have also discussed the possibility of titles being reassigned.
Rooney, however, does not want that.
He said:
“I’m happy with the five I’ve won. I wouldn’t want this one.”
The comment shows that Rooney sees punishment and title reassignment as two separate issues.
No titles have been removed yet
There is one important clarification.
Manchester City have NOT been stripped of the 2011/12 Premier League title.
The Premier League has also not announced that old championships will be reassigned to other clubs.
The punishment stage of City’s financial case is still ongoing.
Possible sanctions could include fines, points deductions or other sporting penalties.
Therefore, Rooney is discussing a possible future scenario rather than responding to an official decision to give United the title.
Rooney’s message is clear
Rooney’s position may surprise some Manchester United supporters.
He does not want another Premier League medal.
He does not want City’s players to lose the trophies they won on the pitch.
But he still believes the club itself should face a very serious punishment.
For Rooney, the solution is not to rewrite the past but to punish Manchester City heavily in the future.
And if the 2011/12 title is ever taken away from City, one of United’s greatest players has already made his decision.
Wayne Rooney says he would not want the medal.
