Steven Gerrard rejects idea of retrospective Premier League medal amid Man City charges
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Steven Gerrard has revealed he has no desire to receive a retrospective Premier League title for the 2013/14 season, when Liverpool finished as runners-up to a Manchester City side that has since been found guilty of financial violations.
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Brendan Rodgers's squad ended up two points adrift of Manuel Pellegrini's side 12 years ago, but City have since been found guilty by the Premier League's independent commission of artificially inflating their commercial revenue by £830 million ($1.096 billion) between 2009 and 2018.
Those financial advantages enabled City to assemble a squad capable of pipping Rodgers's Reds to the championship, and the possibility of trophies won by the Etihad club during that period being redistributed has been raised as a potential sanction, should their appeal prove unsuccessful, as per the Liverpool Echo.
Manchester City was recently found guilty on 114 of 115 charges of breaches of financial rules brought by the Premier League -Credit:Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA, Getty ImagesGerrard has stated he has no interest in receiving what would be his sole Premier League winner's medal under those circumstances, adding that he would be deeply disappointed in the Liverpool hierarchy had it been the Anfield club in City's position.
Speaking on 'The Overlap Daily,' the legendary former skipper said: "I think for everyone you hope it has consequences because obviously this is an ongoing process.
"I think there's a new rule that has come out where it's 12 weeks where we have to wait to find out what is going to happen [with the appeal], if you like.
"But then it could go to the CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport) and you don't know how long it's going to go on from there. That's the frustration for me. That's the frustration for everyone. How long is it going to take before we know whether they are innocent or they are guilty. It certainly looks like they are going to be guilty.
"It's not personal for me in terms of the Manchester City players because they are all outstanding players. They've lived the moment and they deserve to...I am not someone who is going to sit here and say I would accept a Premier League medal. Or I want one that they have got.
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"I think I have come to terms with [the fact] that I never won the Premier League, that I was short in that department. I have come to terms with it.
"I have come to terms with the incident that happened to me at the back end of that season (slip against Chelsea in a 2-0 defeat) and I've heard a lot of City fans and celebrity fans say: 'You can't take those moments away from us.'
"But what about the memories they have taken away from not just possibly me and the team that I played in but over that period of time - nine or 10 years?
"Spurs fans, Manchester United fans, Everton fans, teams are the bottom, teams in the cups, City's ex-players, current players and their owners - everyone connected with City - have got to think about the memories they have potentially stolen away from everyone else.
"That's the thing that I feel at the moment. In terms of what I want to say and how deep I want to go, I want to hold the back page in terms of my own emotion.
-Credit:John Powell, Liverpool FC via Getty Images"Because that was a tough year, it was tough (2013/14), the ending was tough. That's not the City's players' fault, I've got nothing but respect for my City teammates who I played with England for what they achieved and I'd never disrespect them personally for their achievements. This is nothing to do with City fans either.
"But they have got to think about it in their time for if they are guilty - or when they are guilty - I know they are saying 'when we're innocent' but I believe it will be when they are [found] guilty.
"They have got to think about the memories and the moments and the possibilities that individuals, teams and clubs could have suffered from or lost out on. They have got to think about that.
"Because I spoke to a few people high up yesterday (Sunday) at Liverpool and I couldn't help but say to them, it just come out: 'If this was us, I don't think I could speak to you face to face.' That's what I said to him: 'I don't think I can speak to you face to face'. And it was a high up official, I wasn't say who it was.
"If this was Liverpool and the Champions League final (in 2005) - the best night of my life - or the FA Cup final in 2006, I wasn't good enough at the time to win a league or whatever.
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"But what I would say is if this was Liverpool and they tainted or tarnished those memories, I couldn't speak to those owners ever again. I couldn't."
Gerrard, who made 710 appearances across a decorated career at Liverpool added: "If they're innocent, no problem.
"I'm talking about if, down the line, in 12 weeks or in two years, if it goes to wherever else it could wander off to, and it probably will. If you're a Manchester City player that won those trophies, you can't look at those owners in the same way.
"If they're innocent, fine, congratulations, well done. They've been amazing individually. Some of the best players I've ever played against wore the City shirt.
"But if these owners or these people are guilty, how can you as a player look at them in the same way? How? So there needs to be the right punishments. Historically, moving forward, and now, in my opinion."