"Honestly, I wouldn't feel comfortable receiving another Premier League medal, because we didn't deserve it," Rooney said on the Stick to United podcast. "That season, we didn't play well enough to win. We were 6 or 7 points ahead, with 4 or 5 games left, something like that, and then we threw it all away."

Manchester City (blue shirt) defeated Manchester United 1-0 in the fourth round of the 2026-2027 Premier League, at Old Trafford, Manchester, England on 13/9. *Photo: AP*

The 2011-2012 Premier League was one of the most thrilling title races in history. After leading by 8 points, Manchester United lost two and drew one of their final six matches, ultimately being overtaken. Meanwhile, Manchester City won all their matches in the run-in, finishing the season with 89 points, ahead on goal difference.

The race became even more dramatic due to the final day chase. While Manchester United defeated Sunderland 1-0, Manchester City trailed QPR 2-1 until the 90+1 minute. But as Rooney and his teammates prepared to celebrate, Edin Dzeko and Sergio Aguero scored two consecutive goals, securing a 3-2 victory for the blue side of Manchester.

Currently, Manchester City faces the risk of losing their 2011-2012 Premier League title and other honors, due to 115 charges brought by the Premier League organizers, related to financial fair play violations. These violations occurred from 2009 to 2023, a period during which the Etihad Stadium-based club won 26 titles, including 8 Premier League titles and one Champions League.

Despite not wanting to receive the title, Rooney predicted that the Premier League organizers would strip Manchester City of their titles after legal processes. He expressed sadness not for the opponent losing titles, but because a part of football history would change. "I put myself in the position of the Manchester City players; they worked their hardest on the field to become Premier League champions, and in their minds, they achieved it. If the players were completely unaware of any irregularities at the upper levels, they would be completely devastated if their championship medals were taken away," he shared.

Rooney played for Manchester United from 2004 to 2017, winning 16 titles, including 5 Premier League titles and one Champions League. He left Old Trafford as the club's all-time leading scorer with 253 goals.

Immediately after the official announcement from the league, Manchester City also issued a press statement, reaffirming their complete innocence. "We hold a comprehensive and irrefutable body of evidence to defend our position regarding this matter," Manchester City's statement read. The club also stated that the Independent Commission's ruling "contains serious fundamental errors in law, principle, and fact, and is completely lacking in solid basis."

In a video sent to all staff on 29/9, Manchester City CEO, Ferran Soriano, said there was a conspiracy theory against the club. "We have evidence including bank statements, transfer orders, witnesses, and all necessary documents to definitively confirm that the funds did not come from the owners. Any other false accusations attributed to the club stem from a simple but completely distorted accusation. What surprised us and our lawyers is that after two years, the Independent Commission issued a conclusion supporting the Premier League's conspiracy theory," Mr. Soriano said.

Thanh Quy (via Youtube)