Thierry Henry speaks out on Manchester City charges, fires back at ‘fake news’
Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has weighed in on the ongoing controversy surrounding Manchester City -Credit:Omar Vega, Getty Images
Former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry believes that stripping Manchester City of their titles will not diminish the quality that their squads demonstrated. City are currently awaiting their appeal after being found guilty of all but one of their financial violations in the legal dispute with the Premier League.
Enzo Maresca’s side has faced a torrent of speculation, scrutiny, and hostility following the news during the international break. The clock is ticking on the hearing after City appealed the commission ruling in favor of the Premier League on 114 of 115 counts.
The Gunners legend only pushed back against fabricated quotes days after the verdict from the independent commission was delivered, as per the Manchester Evening News.
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Thierry Henry has had his say on the verdict and Man City’s ongoing legal battle. -Credit:CBS Sports Golazo/X
But with City in UEFA Champions League action for the first time since the news broke, Henry was pressed on the matter, contending that whatever the outcome of the appeal, it will not negate the caliber of players that they possessed.
He told CBS Sports: "I don’t have to go back to what I’m thinking, the world of football, but what I know is I’m not qualified to talk about what comes next (or) what the punishment is going to be. I’m not a judge, definitely not a lawyer, I always say, ‘stay in your lane’.
"At one point, we talked about fans, a lot of people, the great players we’ve seen wearing that jersey, I used to look at City and think, ‘wow’. I feel sorry for them because it has nothing to do with them, they don’t know what happened.
"Whatever outcome, punishment, it’s not what I believe (but) it’s always going to be, ‘ah, did you really win?’ That’s unfair for those guys, Vincent Kompany was a hell of a player, Kevin De Bruyne was a hell of a player.
"There is a procedure that we have to respect, the facts are the fact, yes when they’ve been found guilty and when you appeal it doesn’t erase everything, but it gives hope that maybe you might not be guilty.
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"I respect everyone’s opinion, we’ve talked about a lot of things, but those great players, for me, will always be great regardless of what the punishment will be."
Henry pushed back hard against social media reports attempting to link him to comments made in the wake of the verdict’s announcement, shutting them down emphatically, stating: Fake news.
"I haven’t spoken to anyone about Manchester City. Stop inventing stories."
Debate continues to intensify over the severity of any potential sanctions against City, with some calling for title strippings, points deductions, and even expulsion beyond the Football League.
The club remained top of the Premier League following an emphatic victory over Liverpool on Sunday, and will return to the Etihad Stadium on Saturday to face Ipswich Town.
Source: sports.yahoo.com — article syndicated from the publisher’s feed; all rights remain with the original publisher.