Micah Richards says he was 'absolutely devastated' after Man City found guilty of financial breaches
Micah Richards said he was "absolutely devastated" after reading the Premier League's "damning" verdict that found Manchester City guilty of financial breaches between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons, the former defender told The Rest is Football podcast on 30 September 2026.
An independent commission concluded that City arranged "sham contracts" with a number of commercial partners to disguise secret funding of more than £830m, the Premier League confirmed; the club were found guilty of all charges related to breaches in that period and all but one charge relating to failure to co-operate with the investigation. The club continue to deny any wrongdoing.
Richards, who was on Manchester City's bench when Sergio Aguero scored the title-winning goal in 2012 and was part of the 2011-12 title-winning squad, said the language used in the verdicts had upset him. "The reports were troubling," he said on The Rest is Football podcast. "I saw the words which were used by the Premier League in 'sham contracts' and I felt absolutely devastated."
While Richards was part of City's youth academy he lived in "digs" with a local family who are long-term supporters of the club, and the 38-year-old described the reaction of that household. "My digs man, he rang me and he was literally in tears and asking me about information, which I don't know. I haven't got the answers to tell him," Richards said. "That's someone who's supported the club for 60-odd years and the uncertainty around it is just heartbreaking."
Richards also reflected on the personal impact of the headlines and the competing narratives around the case. "To have a headline of this nature for a club that I love so much, it's been difficult. If you listen to the reports, they are damning. "I feel saddened, I feel angry, I feel a little bit confused because, on the other side, you have City's side of the story," he added.
The club's hierarchy have pushed back against the findings in public statements: City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said the club is still confident of proving its innocence, and chief executive Ferran Soriano said in a video message external to staff and players that "irrefutable evidence" had been "ignored" by the commission. The verdicts come against the backdrop of the nine-year period in question during which the Sky Blues won the Premier League three times; City also won the 2013-14 title, overtaking Liverpool to finish two points clear.
City have until 2 October to submit an appeal against the commission's findings.
