Lineker urges Man City to 'own it' and accept punishment

📰 Gary Lineker says Manchester City should "own it" and accept their punishment after the guilty verdict. 📌 Key points 🎙️ Lineker spoke about the City verdict at Stamford Bridge on 7 October. 🙏 He wants City to admit they got it wrong and accept the punishment. 🏆 He would not be surprised if City lost league titles. 💔 He believes the players and fans will suffer most. ⚖️ City deny wrongdoing and have appealed; no sanctions yet. 📝 What happened 🎙️ Speaking at Leaders Week London 2026 at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, Lineker was asked about the verdict. He said he would love to see City "just own it" and say: "OK, we got it wrong but for the good of the game, we'll accept it." 🙏 He added that such a move "would be a blessing and save their face a little bit", while suggesting it did not look likely. 🏆 Asked whether City could lose the three league titles won during the period in question, he said he "wouldn't be surprised if it goes down that route". But he stressed that "the players and the fans" would be the ones who suffer most. ⚖️ An independent commission ruled last week that City used "sham" commercial deals to inflate revenue over nine years, from 2009 to 2018. City deny wrongdoing and have appealed; points deductions, fines or expulsion remain possible, but no sanctions have been announced. 📊 By the numbers • Breaches City were found guilty of: more than 100 • Period covered: 2009 to 2018, nine years • League titles Lineker said could be stripped: 3 🔭 Why it matters With high-profile figures speaking out, the pressure on City is growing off the pitch too. City play their first league game since the verdict at Liverpool on 11 October.