Ian Wright demands 'unprecedented' punishment after Man City verdict

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Ian Wright has called for an "unprecedented" punishment for Manchester City after an independent commission found the club guilty of all but one of the 115 financial breaches charged by the Premier League.

The verdict emerged on Friday, before the Premier League issued a statement on Tuesday setting out four key reasons behind the commission's findings — including a reference to 'sham contracts' with some of the club's commercial partners.

Wright, who had already demanded sanctions when the news first broke last week, doubled down after the league's announcement.

'Cheating on an industrial scale'

"It's cheating on an industrial scale. It's quite surreal seeing it written down like that," the Arsenal legend told ITV Sport.

"The amount of stick I've taken off that. Unprecedented punishment is required here. It's a massive day for the Premier League. They've taken on a whole country, massive."

Wright also pointed to the timing of the ruling with City's next fixture at Liverpool on the horizon, and to the years Jurgen Klopp spent trying to chase the champions down.

"Very messy. It's a problem for them to be going to Liverpool (in their next fixture). In their real time, Liverpool were the team chasing them down. Look at what Jurgen Klopp went through to break them - it probably broke him," he said. "It's so sad. It's probably going to get very litigious."

Wright's frustration carries a familiar edge for Arsenal supporters. The Gunners finished as runners-up to City in consecutive title races, and the commission's findings relate to a period in which City dominated English football.

Keane joins the calls

Former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane echoed Wright's stance, while flagging the wider damage to the competition.

"It's very damaging for the league, the brand is huge all over the world, but for them [City] to be caught cheating, they deserve that punishment," Keane said.

"It's bittersweet. You deserve to be punished, but it's not good for the league. What about the players who have been part of the problem, new players, what happens now going forward?"

City maintain innocence

City responded on Tuesday evening with a statement declaring their intention to appeal, insisting they remain "innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League" and that "a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of all of its positions."

The club added: "The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements uncompleted. Manchester City FC will now pursue the appeal avenues open to it, on the basis that the opinion contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact, and is unsafe."

City also stated they had "diligently respected due process for eight years on the basis that the Premier League Board and Executive would behave as an independent, impartial and fair-minded regulator, free from partisan influence," and said they are restricted in what they can say further until proceedings conclude.

No sanction has yet been announced. With City confirming an appeal and the Premier League's process still incomplete, the question of what punishment follows — and whether it affects the current campaign — remains unresolved.