Tony Pulis, the former Stoke City manager, has claimed he feels “cheated” following reports that Manchester City was found guilty of infringing the majority of 115 financial regulations cited in a long-running Premier League investigation. Pulis is now questioning when Stoke City will receive the 2011 FA Cup trophy, which they lost 1-0 to Manchester City.
Tony Pulis questions 2011 FA Cup result after financial breaches
Writing in a column for the BBC, Tony Pulis stated that Stoke City supporters have been asking him when the club will receive its FA Cup trophy since the news broke on Friday regarding Manchester City’s financial guilt. Pulis admitted he shared the same sentiment, noting that the “sky blues” were found guilty of violating most of the 115 financial rules they were accused of breaking.
The 2011 final saw Manchester City secure a 1-0 victory over Stoke City. While Pulis previously viewed the loss as a result of facing an elite squad and manager Roberto Mancini, he now views the outcome differently. He argued that Manchester City did not just defeat Stoke in a final, but used financial rule-breaking to accumulate numerous titles and dominate English football for over a decade between 2009 and 2018.
Financial disparity and the role of Yaya Touré
Pulis highlighted the extreme economic gap between the two clubs during the 2011 period. He noted that while Manchester City had not won a major trophy in 35 years at the time, their spending on signings and salaries far exceeded anything Stoke City could ever aspire to.
As a specific example of this disparity, Pulis pointed to Yaya Touré, the player who scored the winning goal in the 2011 final. Pulis reported that Touré’s salary was ten times higher than what Stoke paid any of its players. Pulis claimed that Touré's individual transfer cost when joining from Barcelona in 2010 was more than the cost of Stoke City's entire starting eleven.
Expectations for penalties and legal options
Despite his feelings of being cheated, Pulis stated he does not expect Manchester City to return the 2011 FA Cup trophy or the winners’ medals. He expressed skepticism that any other trophies or titles won during the period of infringement would be returned.
Pulis predicted that the most likely penalties for Manchester City will be a significant fine and a deduction of points. However, he maintained that no punishment can recover the lost opportunity for Stoke-on-Trent to celebrate a victory they fought for with honesty. He suggested that other clubs affected by Manchester City’s actions during their era of dominance may be considering legal options.
The case involving the 115 financial breaches remains subject to appeal.
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