Paul Scholes has declared that he would gladly accept a championship medal for the 2011/12 season should Manchester City be stripped of their title. His former Manchester United teammate Wayne Rooney, however, stands firmly against this notion.
That season, United narrowly lost the championship to their neighbours on goal difference, following the unforgettable finale on the last day. Now, amidst City’s financial misconduct allegations, discussions are resurfacing about whether the results of those seasons could ever be reviewed.
Rooney admitted that he wouldn’t want to receive a medal retroactively, even if City’s title is annulled.
The former striker remarked:
I wouldn’t feel comfortable accepting another championship medal. I don’t think we earned it. We let a lead slip that season and didn’t do enough to win the league.
Rooney also emphasised the need to separate City’s hierarchy’s actions from the players who took to the pitch.
He added:
I put myself in the shoes of the City players. They did everything to win the Premier League, and in their view, they did win it. If the players weren’t aware of what was going on above them, losing their medals would be devastating.
If the title is taken away – perhaps it should be. But I wouldn’t want that medal for myself. I’m happy with the five I’ve already won.
Scholes has reacted quite differently to Rooney’s stance. He tweeted:
I keep hearing former teammates say trophies should be taken away, but they themselves don’t want the medals. To hell with that. I’m a greedy git – I want my medal.
Meanwhile, Manchester City have officially lodged an appeal against the ruling by the commission. The club maintains their innocence and claims that there were significant legal, principled, and factual errors in the findings.
While the investigation continues, the question of potential title stripping remains merely one of the possibilities for the case’s future development.
