'Everybody knew Man City were cheating' - Ex-Premier League coach asks for Cityzens to get relegated

Former Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch has called for Manchester City to be relegated from the Premier League after an independent commission found the club guilty of breaching financial rules.

The Canada head coach also claimed “everyone knew” about City’s alleged financial irregularities, pointing to doubts he had during his time managing in England.

Marsch was appointed Leeds manager in February 2022 but left the club 12 months later as they battled against relegation. He was subsequently appointed Canada boss and has now given his reaction to the verdict concerning City.

An independent commission found that Manchester City had disguised around £900million in payments over a nine-year period through what it described as “sham” deals. The ruling found that the club had artificially inflated sponsorship agreements and received disguised funding linked to its Abu Dhabi ownership between 2009 and 2018.

Marsch told the Guardian that City should face severe punishment, arguing that relegation would be an appropriate response.

“I think Man City should be punished severely. I think they should have to go down, and by the way, everyone knew about it. Everyone knew,” he said.

The former Leeds boss recalled being surprised when City reported a profit during the 2021-22 season, particularly given the financial resources available to the club.

Marsch also questioned the £52million deal that brought Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund to Manchester City in 2022.

“That summer [2022], us and Man City were the only teams that said we made money, “For us, we did make money, because we sold Raphinha, we sold Kalvin Phillips [to City]. We had a lot left over from what we bought,” he explained.

Marsch contrasted Leeds’ finances with City’s spending power, saying he could not understand how the champions could report such figures while operating at the top end of the transfer market, adding, “When they said they got Erling Haaland for £52m, it's like: ‘Yeah, OK, sure’.”

City signed Leeds midfielder Phillips for £42m that summer, while Leeds also sold Raphinha to Barcelona for £55m. Marsch was eventually sacked by Leeds in February 2023 before the club were relegated at the end of the campaign.

Manchester City have appealed against the independent commission’s verdict and maintain their innocence. The club’s appeal means the punishment debate remains unresolved, but Marsch has made his position clear: he believes the champions should be sent down.