{
  "id": 10929819,
  "title": "In Manchester, people say City scandal is 'shame for football'",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/in-manchester-people-say-city-scandal-is-shame-for-football",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-30T11:38:11.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/manchester-people-city-scandal-shame-113811719.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In Manchester, public sentiment is reeling in response to allegations of financial wrongdoing at Manchester City FC. On the streets, people expressed shock and dismay over the scale of the scandal, with some even calling for the club to be relegated from the Premier League. Karem Fagega, a 21-year-old student, expressed disbelief at the downfall of a team he once considered great, stating, \"it's a shame for football.\"\n\nAn independent commission uncovered that the Abu Dhabi-backed club had arranged \"sham\" contracts with commercial partners to artificially inflate its revenues and reduce costs by over £900 million ($1.2 billion) between 2009 and 2018. Despite winning three Premier League titles and one FA Cup and three League Cups during this period, City's actions have been deemed \"wrong.\"\n\nReactions ranged from disbelief to disappointment. Sabrina Lodi, a 33-year-old account manager, noted that while she recognized other clubs engaged in similar practices, Manchester City was the one that got caught. Connor Emery, a 25-year-old fan of Liverpool, admitted he had not expected the club to face any trouble. British Sports Minister Lisa Nandy warned that the ultimate sanction is severe, potentially including expulsion from the Premier League, though many believe a relegation or fine is more likely.\n\nFormer City defender Micah Richards expressed devastation, while Roy Keane suggested players who were part of the club should discard their medals. The club's CEO, Ferran Soriano, dismissed the verdict as a \"Premier League conspiracy theory\" and vowed vindication.",
  "summary": "On the streets of Manchester, people voiced shock and dismay at the scale of financial wrongdoing by Manchester City, with some calling for the football club to be relegated from the Premier League.\"I personally think it should be a relegation,\" said Corey, an 18-year-old student who is a fan of Manchester's other club, United, but the outcome \"depends on what the Premier League have in place\".",
  "key_points": [
    "Manchester City scandal involves £900M revenue inflation between 2009-2018",
    "Independent commission finds sham contracts with commercial partners",
    "Public calls for club to be relegated from Premier League"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "🗞️ England's papers are embarrassed by Manchester City",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/englands-papers-are-embarrassed-by-manchester-city",
        "published": "2026-09-30T06:07:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "In Manchester, people say City scandal is ‘shame for football’",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/in-manchester-people-say-city-scandal-is-shame-for-football-10943084",
        "published": "2026-09-30T11:50:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}