Roy Keane Says He'd Bin His Medals — And City's Wait For Clarity Goes On

Roy Keane has never been shy of a strong opinion. This one landed like a brick through a window.

The former Manchester United captain was on punditry duty with ITV Sport, as quoted by BBC Sport, when the subject of Manchester City's Premier League charges came up. He didn't hedge.

"If I was a player, I'd be 100% sticking those medals in the bin. Of course you would, it's cheating."

He went further.

"They won it on the pitch because cheating was going on."

And then the line that will sting most inside the Etihad.

"They (the club) knew it would hurt a lot of people, but they've still done it."

The context is unavoidable. The Premier League have released a statement confirming that City are guilty of the long list of financial charges against them. The charges look likely to earn the club a huge punishment, and the success of the past decade or more now looks very different against the backdrop of one of the biggest scandals in English football history.

A Long Way From Over

City can appeal the decision. That much is clear. Whether there is much ground to contest such a long list of such serious charges is another matter entirely — and at this point it looks like they might not have that much.

Any potential punishment remains speculation for now. We should soon learn more about whether City face a points deduction, a lengthy transfer ban, or possible expulsion from the Premier League. The club will hope for clarity as soon as possible.

The rest of the Premier League could do with a clearer picture too, before club football resumes after the current international break. Nobody is quite sure what the landscape will look like when it does.

Keane, typically, didn't hold back. He rarely does. But for City, the wait for answers is the harder part.