Man City should accept punishment for rule breaches, says Lineker

Former England captain Gary Lineker has called on Manchester City to accept responsibility for their breaches of the Premier League's financial rules and face the consequences, including the possibility of title stripping. City was found guilty of violating the league's financial rules over a nine-year period from 2009-10 to 2017-18, as well as failing to cooperate with the investigation on three out of four charges.

The league alleged that City used "sham" commercial contracts to inflate revenue and understate costs by more than £900 million ($1.19 billion) during that time, while also winning multiple trophies. City has appealed the ruling and maintains their innocence. Lineker, a former Everton, Tottenham Hotspur and Barcelona forward, believes that admitting their guilt would help draw a line under the controversy and benefit the club and the English game as a whole.

He stated that while City's actions look "really bad" for the club and the game, he hopes they would "own it" and accept whatever punishment comes their way. Lineker also expressed sympathy for the club's fans and players, adding that he wouldn't be surprised if City were ultimately stripped of the three Premier League titles they won during the disputed period.

The appeal will be heard privately, and it remains unclear whether sanctions will be announced before the appeal or if they would take effect immediately. City currently leads the Premier League standings on 15 points from five games and aims to secure a sixth consecutive win against Liverpool in their next match.