The calls for deterrent sanctions against Manchester City are growing louder. Leading them is England football legend and former Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp.
City were found guilty of 114 of the 115 charges brought against them, the verdict arriving after a four-year investigation into their financial practices between 2009 and 2018.
An appeal is expected, and the final punishment remains undecided.
Redknapp managed Tottenham throughout the period covered by the charges, when Spurs were battling City for Champions League qualification.
Spurs finished second in that race in both the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons, while City ultimately booked their place in Europe's most prestigious competition.
Writing in The Sun, Redknapp said: "Manchester City being found guilty of almost all the charges against them is a stunning moment for football. There are many who will feel they have the right to see some wrongs put right, and I am one of them."
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He recalled how Spurs went toe to toe with City for those Champions League places: "In two consecutive seasons, 2010-11 and 2011-12, we finished one place short of qualification. In May 2011, the 1-0 defeat to Roberto Mancini's side led to their first qualification, and our dream ended at our own hands."
Redknapp added: "Who knows what would have happened if the people at the federation had been following the rules like everyone else? Tottenham fans will not be alone in feeling they were cheated during those seasons."
Yet he stops short of wanting the Premier League to rewrite the tables or strip City of past titles. "This whole process has been an utter mess, but we are still far from finished with it. Reopening all those past seasons would do serious damage to a league admired around the world," he said.
His conclusion was blunt: "Manchester City need to be punished and to serve as a lesson to others, but it makes more sense for the sanctions to cover the years to come. They must be punished severely, but it would be madness to go back and start meddling with the results of the past."