Former Manchester City midfielder Martin Petrov has expressed that while the club deserves to face consequences if found guilty of financial violations, stripping them of their titles would be too harsh.
In an exclusive interview with Flashscore, the Bulgarian discussed the long-running case’s impact on players and described the current situation as painful for a club close to his heart.
Petrov remarked that the verdict regarding City is a negative development for football as a whole.
'Unfortunately, this is negative news for football, regardless of the club involved. Especially when it concerns one of my former clubs and one that I hold dear.'
The former player acknowledged that if the breaches are ultimately proven, Manchester City will have to deal with the repercussions.
'Rules exist to be followed. If it turns out they’ve done wrong, as painful as it is for me personally, they will have to face the consequences.'
However, Petrov drew a line at the possibility of the club losing its championship titles.
'One thing I don’t understand is stripping them of titles. That would be excessive.'
He believes that achievements on the pitch cannot be entirely separated from the alleged infractions at the hierarchy level.
'On the pitch, it’s always 11 against 11. That’s where footballing skill is demonstrated. It’s not a bag of money playing against another bag of money.'
Petrov also commended Pep Guardiola and his coaching staff for their contributions.
'What Pep Guardiola has achieved with his team… even during the short time I spent at the training ground, I saw the results of their professionalism and dedication.'
According to Petrov, the coaching staff has been focused primarily on footballing matters and preparing the team.
The former City player highlighted how dramatically the team has changed English football since Guardiola's arrival.
'They’ve made many fans fall in love with the game, with their style of play. How many teams and managers have started to copy their approach?'
That said, Petrov insists he does not condone any potential wrongdoing.
'I hope it doesn’t come to that. Rules and laws must be respected, no matter who you are. It shouldn’t serve as a warning to make an example of someone.'
Petrov acknowledged that relegation from the Premier League would pose a significant challenge for the club.
He believes one of the first repercussions would be massive financial losses due to absence from the Champions League. The future of players with multi-million contracts would then come into question.
'It would be a massive scandal, especially if they were sent down to the lower divisions.'
Despite the turmoil, Petrov doesn’t think the club's hierarchy will simply give up the fight.
The former player speculated that the lengthy investigation might have affected the team's performances.
'There’s no doubt it has an impact. Yes, they’re professionals, but they’re also human.'
Petrov considers it likely that some players are already pondering their futures.
'What will happen to me if this does occur? Do I want to stay at this club? Will I still get paid my wage? Should I look for another club, even if it means a lower salary?'
He specifically mentioned Erling Haaland, suggesting that the situation surrounding City might attract the attention of other top European clubs.
This is, however, Petrov's personal opinion rather than information about specific offers or negotiations.
Petrov anticipates that Manchester City will receive heightened scrutiny during away matches.
He particularly highlighted the upcoming clash with Liverpool at Anfield.
'The atmosphere is likely to be hostile. There will be chants, and I wouldn’t be surprised if banners appear. The unfortunate thing is that the focus on the match will be overshadowed by this situation. The attention won’t be on the football.'
Manchester City started their season under Enzo Maresca with five consecutive victories.
Petrov believes the club must first cope with the psychological burden.
'With a good start, they have confidence, but in my view, they need to establish psychological stability regarding this issue. They need to calm the players and show them support from the hierarchy.'
Moreover, Petrov noted that Maresca could implement some ideas he learned while working alongside Guardiola.
When discussing the title race, Petrov refrained from making definitive predictions.
'It’s too early to say. In recent years, we’ve seen all sorts of twists in the Premier League, and they continue to surprise us.'
Petrov believes Manchester City and Arsenal could again emerge as title contenders if the ongoing investigation doesn’t lead to serious further consequences.
The Bulgarian also opined on the recently contentious goal scored by Erling Haaland in the Manchester derby.
Petrov feels the incident should have resulted in an offside decision.
'Honestly, even at the first replay, I thought it was offside, and I still believe it was.'
He pointed out that the problem lies in the ambiguity of the rule interpretations.
'For me, it was a clear offside by about a metre or so. It doesn’t matter if a defender touched the ball with his heel and slightly changed its path. This is another instance that is open to interpretation.'
