Lineker urges Manchester City to accept any punishment

Gary Lineker has urged Manchester City to acknowledge wrongdoing and accept any punishment arising from an independent commission’s findings, saying that would be better for the game. City denies wrongdoing and has appealed, leaving both the findings and any consequences unresolved. Speaking at Leaders Week London at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, October 7, the former England captain said City should accept responsibility rather than continue to contest the case. He said the situation damaged the club and the game, and described acceptance of a punishment as a way for City to move forward. Lineker also said he would not be surprised if the club’s three league titles from the period under scrutiny were stripped, while noting that players and fans would bear the effects. The commission found City guilty of 114 of 115 Premier League charges, according to one account. The allegations concern financial rules over a period from 2009 to 2018. Reports describe the commission’s findings as involving arrangements that inflated the club’s revenue, but give differing totals for the sums involved.