Manchester City Must Be Branded

Steven Gerrard believes that if Manchester City's financial violations are proven, the club should face, in addition to a transfer ban, a points deduction and a multi-year ban.

Steven Gerrard, the legend of Liverpool, believes that Manchester City should face much heavier punishments than relegation if it proves the financial violations attributed to this club in the English Premier League.

The former Liverpool captain called for City's multi-year ban, player recruitment ban and point deduction in a specified period of time in the "Overlap Daily" program. He emphasized that in order to preserve the prestige of the Premier League and prevent the repetition of violations, deterrent punishments should be considered. Manchester City has denied the allegations against him.

This case reminds Gerrard of one of the most bitter episodes of his football career. He played for Liverpool from 1998 to 2015 and missed out on the trophy in the 2013-14 season when Manchester City won the Premier League. Gerrard's famous slip against Chelsea in the final weeks of that season is still considered one of the lasting events of that championship race.

However, Gerrard emphasized that he is not looking to reclaim that season's championship or receive a championship medal. He has admitted that he has never won a Premier League title in his career and has long since moved on from that season.

According to Gerrard, relegation alone would not be a suitable punishment for City. He believes that this club can return to the first level of English football in a short period of time, and its presence in the lower division may make the competition for promotion unfair.

The former Liverpool star also emphasized that the possible punishment must be proportionate to the scale of the offenses attributed to Manchester City and the length of time these offenses are said to have occurred.

Gerrard believes that banning transfers and deducting points for a certain period of time should be part of City's punishment. According to him, it is necessary to deal decisively with this case in order to prevent the repetition of similar violations and to show other clubs that the financial rules of the Premier League are the same for everyone.

In the end, Gerrard asked for a quick investigation of this case and emphasized that maintaining the prestige of the Premier League should be prioritized. At the same time, he admitted that if Liverpool was also involved in such a case, he might have taken a different position due to his interest and bias towards this club; But in the current situation, he believes that the interests of football and the credibility of competitions should take precedence over any other consideration.