Former footballer Micah Richards ‘devastated’ by Manchester City guilty verdict

Former Manchester City defender Micah Richards says he is “absolutely devastated” by the Premier League’s findings that the club breached financial rules over a nine-season period.

An independent commission found City guilty of all charges relating to alleged financial rule breaches between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons, and all but one of the charges concerning their failure to co-operate with the league’s investigation.

The commission found that City arranged “sham contracts” with commercial partners as part of a scheme to disguise more than £830m in funding. The club deny wrongdoing and have until 2 October to appeal.

Richards, who joined City’s academy at the age of 14 and was part of the squad that won the Premier League title in 2011-12, said the findings had left him deeply upset.

“I saw the words which were used by the Premier League in ‘sham contracts’ and I felt absolutely devastated,” he said on The Rest is Football podcast.

Richards also described the impact on supporters, recalling a call from the local family he lived with during his time in the club’s academy.

He said his former host, who had supported City for more than 60 years, was in tears and seeking answers that Richards could not provide.

“The uncertainty around it is just heartbreaking,” Richards said.

He added that the reports had left him feeling “saddened”, “angry” and “a little bit confused”, particularly because City have maintained that they have evidence supporting their position.

City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has said the club remains confident of proving its innocence, while chief executive Ferran Soriano has argued that evidence supporting City’s case was ignored by the commission.

The club’s appeal could determine the next stage of a process that has been ongoing for several years.