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Former Manchester City center back Manuel Akanji has revealed his concerns about potentially losing the two Premier League titles he claimed with the club between 2022 and 2025, while declining to rule out the possibility of additional rule violations being uncovered at the Etihad.
City were found guilty of breaching numerous Premier League financial regulations between 2009 and 2018—four years prior to Akanji's arrival at the club—and are still awaiting sentencing, which could involve the removal of titles won throughout that timeframe.
Trophies collected after the period under scrutiny, though built on disputed foundations, are not currently believed to be at risk, yet Akanji acknowledged he could not dismiss the possibility that his own time at the Etihad Stadium might face additional examination.
"I hope I don't lose my titles," said Akanji, who departed City for Inter Milan this summer following a loan spell with the Italian club last season. "That would be a bit of a shame. But I only see everything in the news."
When asked whether he genuinely believed his titles were under threat, Akanji responded: "Who knows what else they'll find out. You're still looking for things related to Corona that happened five years ago."
Akanji's closing remark was a reference to the recent investigation involving Switzerland teammate Granit Xhaka, who admitted last month to obtaining a fraudulent Covid-19 vaccination certificate back in 2022.
Could Man City Lose All Their Premier League Titles?
City have challenged the guilty verdict and are hopeful of being cleared. A successful appeal would eliminate any threat of punishment entirely.
Should City's appeal fail, however, they are expected to face severe consequences. Penalties could span from financial fines to points deductions and, most significantly, the stripping of titles earned during the period in question.
It appears that the titles Akanji won during his later stint with the club are secure, but City's broader concern lies in a Premier League rule that grants the league authority to impose "such other penalty as it shall think fit."
In essence, the Premier League holds the power to apply any sanction it deems appropriate for the offenses committed. Should league officials conclude that City's achievements since 2018 were also tainted by earlier misconduct, they retain the authority to erase further records.
Current indications suggest that any penalties would be forward-looking rather than retrospective, but until the appeal ruling is delivered, Akanji remains among many left without clear answers.
"We were told to stay calm, that they had everything under control, that nothing serious had happened," Akanji concluded. "I trust the people in charge at Man City that this is true."