Micah Richards 'absolutely devastated' as Man City found guilty over financial rules

Micah Richards says he felt "absolutely devastated" after reading the verdict that found Manchester City guilty of breaking Premier League financial rules.

The former City defender gave his reaction on The Rest is Football podcast, as reported by BBC Sport. He said the news left him heartbroken as well. Short words. Heavy weight.

An independent commission found City had arranged "sham contracts" with commercial partners to disguise more than £830m in secret funding. In plain terms, sponsorship deals that were said to be something they were not. The club were found guilty of all charges relating to breaches between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons. They were also found guilty on all but one charge of failing to co-operate with the investigation.

Put together, that is almost all of the 115 charges brought by the Premier League. The charges centre on the league's financial rules, the system that requires clubs to report income honestly and live within agreed spending limits.

Richards knows that period from the inside. City won the Premier League three times between 2009-10 and 2017-18. He was part of the 2011-12 title-winning squad, the team that ended the club's long wait for a league title. City also won the 2013-14 title by finishing two points above Liverpool.

That history is now being argued over. Jamie Carragher said City's titles should be taken off their list following the guilty verdict. It is a view that will divide supporters. Stripping titles is rare in English football, and any decision rests with the authorities, not pundits.

City continue to deny wrongdoing. Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said in a statement on Saturday the club remains confident of proving its innocence. Chief executive Ferran Soriano told staff and players in a video message that "irrefutable evidence" had been ignored by the commission.

The Premier League set out its position in an official document titled 'Premier League Statement: Manchester City FC', published on 29 September Premier League. City have until 2 October to submit an appeal.

For fans, this means more waiting. The games go on. But the questions around those championship seasons will hang over every conversation until the appeal process runs its course.