In Manchester, where two blue-and-red histories have been measured in league tables as much as derby days, Antonio Valencia has looked back at the Premier League titles that might yet be drawn into the consequences of Manchester City’s financial case. The former Manchester United full-back joked that a punishment for City could add two more English championships to his own record.
Valencia revisits two second-place finishes
Speaking to Spanish newspaper AS, the Ecuadorian reflected on the possibility that titles could be removed from City if sanctions are imposed. “I ask myself that as well,” Valencia said with a laugh. “If there is a penalty, I would have two more Premier League titles on my record.”
His comment concerned the two seasons in which United finished immediately behind their local rivals:
- 2011/12: City and United both ended on 89 points, but City won the league on goal difference after Sergio Agüero’s stoppage-time goal secured a 3-2 win over Queens Park Rangers on the final day.
- 2017/18: Pep Guardiola’s City reached 100 points, while United, with Valencia in the squad, took second place on 81 points.
Valencia already won the Premier League twice during his United career, in 2010/11 and 2012/13. If both City championships were stripped and subsequently reassigned to United, his personal total would rise from two to four.
A case still without a sporting outcome
The discussion follows the independent Premier League commission’s ruling, announced on 29 September, that City were responsible for serious financial breaches across the period from 2009/10 to 2017/18.
The findings stated that the club used improper commercial agreements to increase declared revenue and reduce expenses recorded in its accounts. City reject the allegations and lodged an appeal at the beginning of October.
Crucially, no punishment has yet been set. The process has not produced a decision to remove any trophies, and there is also no assurance that titles would automatically be handed to the teams who finished as runners-up if City were to lose them.
Concern beyond the derby divide
Valencia’s reaction was not solely about United’s possible gain. The former Ecuador international also voiced concern over the damage the affair could cause to the standing of English football, and said he hoped the matter would be resolved swiftly.
For now, the title records remain unchanged. The two Manchester campaigns cited by Valencia remain among the defining landmarks of City’s rise: one settled in the final seconds at the Etihad Stadium, the other completed with a record 100-point total under Guardiola.
