Paul Pogba brought a Manchester smile to the Singapore Grand Prix, joking that he could yet add two Premier League titles to his record as Manchester City face the consequences of 114 rule breaches.
The France World Cup winner was asked about City’s case while attending the Formula 1 weekend in Singapore. The club have been found guilty of 114 Premier League regulation violations dating from 2009 to 2018, and possible penalties could include the removal of honours won during that span.
Pogba, who played for Manchester United in two spells, kept his response brief but made his preference unmistakable.
“I have nothing to say, honestly. I just hope it does not affect the Premier League, and I hope we can get two titles back,” he said with a smile.
Why Pogba mentioned two championships
United finished second behind their local rivals twice within the period covered by City’s breaches.
- In 2011-12, United ended the season level on points with City but lost the title on goal difference.
- In 2017-18, United again finished runners-up as City won the league.
Pogba was part of the United setup during the first of those campaigns, having joined the club’s academy in 2009 before leaving for Juventus in 2012. He returned to Old Trafford in 2016 and remained there until 2022, meaning he was also in the squad for the 2017-18 runners-up finish.
United also came second in 2020-21, but that season falls outside the 2009-18 timeframe attached to the City violations. It is therefore not part of Pogba’s joking claim for two retrospective titles.
City could face major sporting punishment
The scale of any sanction remains to be determined, but the potential consequences are understood to be severe. A points deduction or the stripping of titles won during the relevant years are among the possible outcomes.
For Pogba, now watching French football closely after returning to Ligue 1 with Monaco, the case has revived an old Manchester grievance: two seasons in which United’s neighbours finished above them, and the possibility that history could yet be rewritten.
