United View: Questions raised over United's CEO

Never did I think I’d be dedicating the majority of my Manchester United column to our cross-city rivals, but here we are. 

Unless you have been living under a rock, you will know that the Blues have been found guilty of 114 of the 115 charges levelled at them by the Premier League, marking the biggest piece of news English football has ever seen. 

Of course, the process remains ongoing, as does City’s right to appeal, but the statement released earlier this week by the Premier League makes for astonishing reading. 

The wording used in the statement leaves no room for ambiguity, with the league clearly believing that City have not only broken the spending rules, but have gone out of their way to intentionally do so. 

It makes little sense to speculate on what the punishment may be if City are to be unsuccessful with their inevitable appeal, and I’m sure we’re still a long way from the process reaching its conclusion, but what I would say is that any punishment needs to be severe enough that no one will attempt anything of the like ever again. 

From a United point of view, there has been talk of City being stripped of their titles won between 2009 and 2018, and even talk of clubs being awarded these titles retrospectively. 

For me, if City are to be stripped of their silverware, I would leave it at that. 

There is absolutely no merit for United, or any other club, to be awarded a title for the years they finished as runners up.  

I’d have preferred to have experienced the trophies being lifted at the time, rather than them being awarded on a technicality over a decade later. 

As much as it is enjoyable as a United fan to see our rivals in disarray, we cannot hide from the fact that our very own CEO was potentially a key figure in this scandal. 

There is no doubt that Omar Berrada, and his involvement, will come under intense scrutiny from the higher ups at Old Trafford, given his time with the Blues between 2011 and 2024.

Should City be ultimately unsuccessful with their appeal, I find it hard to see a way that Berrada can continue in his position. 

If Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS have any sense, they will want to distance themselves completely from City’s wrongdoings, and having the Moroccan still at the helm would be the furthest thing from that. 

This is all very much speculation at this stage, and even if City are guilty, it would be slightly premature to assume Berrada was involved. 

But at the same time, it would be foolish to think a man who served as the club’s Chief Operating Officer would have no knowledge of any malpractice. 

Whatever happens, we can only hope that this saga – which has put a stain on the Premier League for so long – reaches a swift conclusion.