MusaFormer Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp has explained why he believes Spurs may have been among the clubs affected by Manchester City’s alleged financial breaches, while insisting that any punishment imposed on the Etihad club should apply to future seasons rather than rewriting previous results.
The football world was rocked on Friday when it emerged that Manchester City had been found guilty of 114 of the 115 Premier League financial regulations they had been charged with breaching.
The verdict followed a four-year investigation into the club’s financial affairs between 2009 and 2018.
City are expected to appeal the decision, while there is currently no confirmed timeframe for any potential punishment. The case could therefore continue for some time before a final outcome is reached.
A significant points deduction has been widely discussed as one possible sanction, while the possibility of relegation to the EFL has also been raised.
Any punishment could have consequences for a number of clubs that competed against City during the period under investigation. Tottenham are among those potentially affected, particularly because Redknapp was in charge of Spurs during several seasons when the club was battling for Champions League qualification.
Tottenham narrowly missed out on Champions League qualification in consecutive seasons, 2010/11 and 2011/12. However, despite believing his former club may have been disadvantaged, Redknapp does not want the Premier League to rewrite the history of those campaigns.
Writing for The Sun, Redknapp described City’s verdict as a major moment for English football and highlighted the potential impact it could have across the sport.
He explained that numerous clubs could eventually feel they have legitimate reasons to seek compensation or changes to past outcomes if City’s appeal fails.
Redknapp pointed specifically to his time at Tottenham, when Spurs regularly competed with Manchester City for Champions League places.
During the 2010/11 and 2011/12 campaigns, Tottenham finished just one position away from securing qualification.
In 2011, Spurs lost 1-0 to Roberto Mancini’s Manchester City, a result that helped City secure Champions League football for the first time while Tottenham’s hopes disappeared.
The following season brought another painful blow. Tottenham finished fourth, but Chelsea’s Champions League triumph meant the Blues claimed England’s additional qualification place, leaving Spurs outside the competition once again.
Redknapp questioned what might have happened if City had been operating under the same financial rules as their rivals.
He acknowledged that nobody can know whether Tottenham would ultimately have qualified for the Champions League, but argued that Spurs supporters could understandably feel that they were disadvantaged during those seasons.
Redknapp Wants Future Punishment Rather Than Rewriting History
Despite his personal connection to the situation, Redknapp does not believe the Premier League should go back and alter completed seasons by removing points or titles from Manchester City.
He argued that Champions League qualification during those campaigns could have had a major impact on Tottenham, but said he would not support retrospectively changing league tables.
According to Redknapp, reopening previous seasons would create a huge number of complications, with clubs across the Premier League potentially making claims over lost Champions League places, titles, European qualification and financial rewards.
He also pointed out that clubs involved in relegation battles could have grievances of their own if historical league tables were changed.
Redknapp warned that attempting to rewrite years of completed Premier League history could create an enormous legal and sporting problem and potentially damage the reputation of English football.
While he believes Manchester City should face a serious punishment if the verdict ultimately stands, he feels the sanctions should primarily affect the seasons ahead.
Redknapp concluded that City should be punished appropriately if found guilty after the appeal process, but argued that going back and altering historical results would create more problems than it solves.
For the former Spurs manager, the focus should therefore be on ensuring that any punishment is meaningful while allowing previously completed Premier League seasons to remain intact.
Musa
