‘Devastated’: Ex-Man City star reacts to club’s guilty verdict

Dubai: Former Manchester City player Micah Richards has given an emotional response to the news that his old club were found guilty of all charges relating to serious breaches of its financial rules over the nine-season period from 2009/10 to 2017/18.

Richards came through City’s academy and went on to make 228 appearances for the club between 2005 and 2014.

He was part of the side that ended City’s long wait for major silverware, lifting the FA Cup in 2011 before helping the club win its first Premier League title in 44 years in 2012.

The Premier League said on Tuesday that the Independent Commission found Manchester City had used “sham” sponsorship agreements as part of a disguised funding arrangement.

City maintain they have a “comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence” to support their case and intend to appeal the verdict.

The club has until October 2 to do so, while Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has warned that expulsion from the Premier League could be considered if the appeal fails.

The news has, unsurprisingly, sent shockwaves through the football world, with the verdict prompting a wave of reaction from former players and figures connected to the club.

One of those to speak out was Richards, who has opened up about the emotional impact of the findings and what they mean for a club he spent almost a decade representing.

Richards said: “The reports were troubling. The words used by the Premier League, ‘sham contracts’, I feel devastated as someone who loves Man City.

"I’ve been at that club since I was 14 years old, I would die for that club

"I achieved my dream at Man City, but to hear these reports, and not only me as an ex-player but the fans, what they have to go through, I’m absolutely devastated.”

But despite him emotional reaction, Richards was clearly unwilling to let the verdict diminish what he achieved at the club, insisting: “No one is taking my Premier League away.”

Former Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart has also spoken out following the verdict, backing chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak and maintaining his faith in the club’s position.

Hart, who made 348 appearances for City between 2006 and 2016 and won two Premier League titles, said he had deliberately avoided getting drawn into the various discussions surrounding the case.

“My honest opinion is I’ve got no reason not to trust Khaldoon. What he said is enough for me,” Hart told BBC Radio 5 Live.

He also praised the chairman’s response to the verdict, saying: “I loved how he spoke. I loved the letter because that was from someone who cared about the club.”

Hart also insisted that the ongoing case had not changed his view of what he achieved during his time at City, saying he was “very confident and very, very calm” and “extremely proud” of what he and his teammates accomplished.