“I’d rather cheat and win” Jamie Carragher’s past confession comes back to haunt Manchester City crusade
Jamie Carragher has found himself at the centre of an online storm after previous comments of his about sporting integrity have resurfaced in the wake of Manchester City’s Premier League rule-breaking.
Following the historic verdict by an independent commission that found Manchester City guilty of 114 breaches of Premier League financial regulations across a nine-season period, Carragher emerged as one of the club’s fiercest critics.
Speaking on Sky Sports, the former Liverpool defender questioned the legitimacy of City’s decade of domestic dominance.
Awkward Jamie Carragher podcast clip resurfaces
“I do think Manchester City’s titles they’ve won in this time, or trophies, should be taken off their list,” Carragher declared during his analysis on Sky Sports. “What Manchester City have done is, they’ve not just hurt their own players in terms of no one looks at their trophies and medals now in the same way…
“I’ve been very lucky to win a few medals. I never look at the medal years later. But my mind goes back to a moment, I get a feeling in my stomach. I remember the referee blowing a final whistle of a big game. Those players will never get that feeling and it was robbed by Manchester City. That’s what they haven’t got. I don’t think any player will care if you go and give them a medal, and he puts it in the house, in his trophy room, he’ll never look at it.”
The pundit lamented the collateral damage for top stars, suggesting their title-winning legacy has been unfairly tainted because the club broke spending regulations.
However, football supporters have pointed out a stark contrast between Carragher’s current stance and a previous confession. During an interview on Steven Bartlett’s The Diary of a CEO podcast in 2022, Carragher discussed his competitive nature and reflected on his obsession with finishing on the winning side.
Carragher offered an unapologetically candid admission, revealing that he would rather “cheat and win than not win.”
“I’d rather cheat and win, than not win – and I don’t think I’ll ever be any different.
“That’s why I think football has taken me to places in my life that almost brings a tear to my eye,” the Liverpool legend said in a clip which is currently doing the rounds on social media.
Jamie Carragher on the ‘Diary of a CEO’ podcast claiming that he would ‘Rather cheat and win, than not win. I don’t think I will ever be different in my life’…
Yet 2 years old he wants the book thrown at Man City for their cheating. You can guarantee if it was Liverpool who had been caught cheating, Jamie would be overly defensive of them… https://t.co/M0F2xs7RYjOctober 13, 2026
The resurfaced clip has circulated rapidly, highlighting the difference between his current position and the win-at-all-costs mentality he held as a player.
While his podcast remarks were not directly in reference to Manchester City’s charges, and more geared towards the mindset often found in dressing rooms, the two conflicting perspectives sit uncomfortably alongside each other.
Carragher clarified his previous comments, stating: “I’m talking more about Luis Garcia’s ghost goal than 900M in fake sponsorship!”
