Jamie Carragher Calls For Man City Owners To Be Stripped Of Club And Punished Over Five Years

Jamie Carragher has called for Manchester City's owners to be removed from the club and argued that any punishment following the Premier League's financial verdict should last between three and five years rather than being limited to a one-off points deduction.

Jamie Carragher has called for Manchester City's owners to be removed from the club and believes the Premier League should impose a multi-year punishment if the club's appeal against its financial breaches verdict fails.

The former Liverpool defender has argued that a one-off points deduction would not go far enough, suggesting instead that sanctions should affect City over three to five seasons. His comments come after an independent commission found the club guilty of serious breaches of Premier League financial rules covering the 2009/10 to 2017/18 period.

Manchester City deny wrongdoing and have appealed against the ruling, meaning no final sporting punishment has yet been established.

Carragher Wants Owners Removed From Manchester City

Carragher's earlier reaction to the verdict focused heavily on City's ownership. He questioned how the club's owners could continue in English football following the commission's findings and argued that the consequences should reach beyond the club itself.

He also called for City's titles and trophies won during the period under investigation to be removed from the club's record.

City won three Premier League titles, one FA Cup, three League Cups and one Community Shield between 2009/10 and 2017/18.

One-Season Points Deduction Would Not Be Enough

Carragher's latest argument centres on the potential weakness of a punishment that could simply be absorbed in one campaign.

He suggested that an 80- or 100-point deduction could result in relegation but would allow City to return to the Premier League after just one season, potentially restoring their competitive position relatively quickly.

His preferred approach would therefore spread the sporting consequences over several seasons rather than treating the case as a one-year setback.

Three To Five Years Proposed As A Longer Punishment

Speaking on The Overlap Fan Debate with Sky Bet, Carragher said the punishment should last “three to five years”, arguing that the length of the investigation and the scale of the findings justified a prolonged sanction.

He reasoned that some players could leave if City were heavily punished, while others might be willing to endure a one-season setback. A punishment lasting several years, in his view, would have a much more significant and lasting effect.

This remains Carragher's personal view rather than a punishment announced by the Premier League.

City's Financial Verdict Remains Under Appeal

The independent commission found Manchester City guilty of all charges relating to serious financial breaches and the majority of charges concerning the club's failure to co-operate with the Premier League's investigation.

Among the commission's findings was that City had arranged what it described as “sham” commercial contracts as part of a disguised funding scheme. The Premier League said the arrangements artificially inflated revenues and reduced costs by more than £900 million, while Sky Sports reported the commission specifically found more than £830 million of revenue had been inflated.

City have consistently denied the allegations and have challenged the findings through the appeal process.

Potential Sanctions Remain A Major Question

The independent commission is expected to deal with sanctions separately, meaning the scale and form of any punishment remains unresolved.

Possible measures include a points deduction, financial penalty, transfer restrictions or even expulsion from the Premier League. Sky Sports has also reported that any appeal could take several months, with the process potentially extending further if City pursue additional legal avenues.

Carragher's proposed three-to-five-year punishment therefore represents one possible approach in a much wider debate over how the Premier League should respond.

Carragher's Argument Puts Ownership Back Under The Spotlight

The former Liverpool defender's latest comments underline the wider question surrounding accountability at the top of football clubs.

Carragher believes that removing the owners would be necessary to address what he has described as a lasting stain on Manchester City. He has also argued that the players who competed against City during the period deserve recognition for what they achieved despite the financial circumstances now under scrutiny.

For now, however, the legal process remains central. City continue to contest the commission's findings, while the Premier League's eventual sanctions will determine how far the consequences reach.

Carragher's call for a three-to-five-year punishment adds further pressure to a case that has already become one of the most consequential financial disputes in Premier League history. With City's appeal still part of the process, the final outcome could yet look very different from the punishments currently being proposed by pundits and rivals.