Danny Mills Calls Stripping Man City of Titles ‘Pointless’ Amid FFP Charges
Danny Mills shared his thoughts with GOAL on why removing Manchester City's titles and taking away players' medals over the club's 115-charge Financial Fair Play (FFP) investigation would serve little purpose. He argued that punishments tied to trophies are meaningless now as memories of those victories have already been experienced.
Speculation Over Potential Sanctions
The Etihad Stadium outfit faces accusations of staging fake transactions between 2010 and 2018. An independent commission has upheld all but one charge against them, with a final decision expected by January 2027.
Ideas about penalties range from expulsion from the Premier League or massive points deductions to transfer bans and heavy fines. Some voices even call for wiping all trophies earned during this period from official records. City’s trophy haul since 2011 includes eight Premier League titles, the Champions League, multiple FA Cups, seven League Cups, the UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup, much of it under Pep Guardiola.
Why Removing Titles Might Not Matter
"You can take titles away, irrelevant. You can take medals and trophies away from players, irrelevant," Mills said. "They've had those moments, those days out, those bonuses. You've had all the upside of that for a number of years."
He emphasized the difficulty in drawing clear lines regarding how benefits extended beyond 2018 when the alleged breaches ended. Without the foundation laid earlier, City wouldn’t have attracted top players or developed their stadium to current standards.
Mills also compared this situation to historic sports controversies, noting retrospective punishment is complicated and often meaningless. For example, questioning England's 1966 World Cup win decades later wouldn't change the experience or legacy.
"Retrospective punishments are incredibly difficult. It's how you sanction and sentence the club going forward. And again, that's going to be incredibly complicated," Mills added.
Current Status and Looking Ahead
Manchester City continue to deny wrongdoing and are awaiting the final verdict while appealing the charges. Meanwhile, Enzo Maresca and the team focus on their ongoing league campaign and upcoming matches, including a significant fixture against old rivals Liverpool.
- Match: Liverpool vs Manchester City
- Date: 11 October 2026
- Kickoff: 18:30
