Former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane has suggested that the recent guilty verdict handed to Manchester City regarding financial misconduct might have had an impact on England's performance in their defeat to Spain.
The loss came just a day after City were found guilty of breaching financial regulations, and several players linked to the Manchester club made uncharacteristic blunders during the match.
Nico O'Reilly and Marc Guehi committed costly mistakes that led to two of Spain's goals, while Rodri, a former City player, conceded a penalty in the dying moments of the game.
After the match, journalists questioned England manager Thomas Tuchel about whether the court’s ruling had any effect on his team.
It didn't affect me, but I can imagine it did the Manchester City players. They surely have more free time than I do to discuss it.
Keane, speaking on ITV Sport, linked the poor display of England's stars to the high-profile legal scandal engulfing the Premier League.
At this level, you want to be focused, and it definitely had an impact on them. Seeing so many top players making mistakes like that is bound to affect their confidence.
