Paul Scholes breaks with Wayne Rooney over possible Manchester City title removal

Paul Scholes says he wants to receive his 2011-12 Premier League winners’ medal if Manchester City are stripped of the title, contradicting former Manchester United team-mate Wayne Rooney.

The title was won by Manchester City on the final day of the season, when they finished above Manchester United on goal difference. However, an independent commission has found Manchester City guilty of breaching financial rules over a nine-year period between 2009 and 2018.

The club could potentially be stripped of nine titles won during that period, which has prompted debate over whether Manchester United should be awarded the 2011-12 championship.

Rooney said on the Stick to United podcast that he would not feel comfortable accepting another medal, despite United’s narrow failure to win the league.

“I wouldn’t feel comfortable accepting another medal,” Rooney said. “I don’t think we deserve it. We didn’t do enough that season to win the league.”

He added: “It might happen and they might take the titles away, but I don’t want that medal because I don’t think we deserved it as a team that season. We didn’t finish top.”

Scholes, who won five Premier League titles alongside Rooney at Manchester United, expressed a different view in an Instagram story, according to the Daily Mail.

“I keep hearing former team-mates saying they want the titles taken away from them, but they don’t want their medals,” Scholes wrote. “Sod that, I’m greedy, I want my medal.”

Scholes accumulated 11 English league winners’ medals during his Manchester United career, placing him among the club’s most decorated players.

The dispute follows the publication of the independent commission’s ruling against Manchester City for financial rule breaches covering the period from 2009 to 2018. If titles are removed as a result, the 2011-12 championship could be reassigned to Manchester United.

Former United defenders Rio Ferdinand and David de Gea have previously said they support the idea of awarding the club the 2012 title.