Gerrard ‘interested’ in City ban
FORMER Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has said he will be keeping a close eye on whether the English Premier League punishes Manchester City for breaching financial regulations.
City have been banned from European competition for the next two seasons and fined ¤30million by Uefa after an investigation into alleged breaches of Financial Fair Play rules.
City have denied any wrongdoing and confirmed they are appealing the ruling to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The Premier League have also opened an investigation into City, who won the 2013-14 league title by finishing two points ahead of Liverpool.
“I’m really, really interested in it... for obvious reasons,” Rangers manager Gerrard, who captained the Liverpool side during the 2013-14 campaign, told reporters. “From a Uefa point of view, it is obviously a real strong sentence or punishment. I’m sure they will appeal so we will wait and see what the outcome is on that.”
Uefa said City had committed “serious breaches” of the regulations by overstating its sponsorship revenue in its accounts and in the breakeven information submitted to Uefa between 2012 and 2016.
Elsewhere, Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says French midfielder Paul Pogba has been out of action for so long he faces a real challenge to get fully fit and back in the team.
Pogba, whose future at the club has been the subject of much speculation, is still recovering from an ankle injury that has restricted him to eight United appearances this season. He last featured in a 4-1 win over Newcastle United on Boxing Day.
“Paul knows he has to work hard to get back to his best,” Solskjaer told British media. “He has been out now for so long now, it’s a challenge to get back into shape.”
Pogba was not part of the United group that spent the mid-season break at a training camp in Spain, but Solskjaer confirmed the 26-year-old was given permission to do his recovery work somewhere else.
“He’s taken off his cast and started running on the treadmill now, so he’s getting closer,” said the Norwegian.
When asked if Pogba would play for the club again he added: “Well of course, I’d like to say that as soon as he gets fit, he’ll be good enough to play for the team. I’m sure Paul’s desperate to play for us again.”
Meanwhile, Everton are to end their shirt partnership agreement with Kenyan betting firm SportPesa at the end of the season, the Premier League club said in a statement.
Everton, who had signed a five-year deal with the gaming brand in 2017, said the decision was made after a review of the club’s commercial strategy in line with its future growth plans.
“This has been a difficult decision but one that allows us to best deliver on our commercial plan and to grasp the new opportunities now open to us,” a club spokesperson said.
“The club would like to thank SportPesa for all of the work that has been done together.”