Former USA Star Alexi Lalas Causes Stir With Man City Tweet After Guilty Verdict

· GiveMeSport

Former United States international Alexi Lalas sparks backlash with eyebrow-raising tweets about Manchester City

Former United States international Alexi Lalas has caused a stir on X (Twitter) with an eyebrow-raising post about Manchester City following the Premier League club’s guilty verdict.

City lodged an official appeal earlier this month after they were found guilty on all 115 counts of breaching the Premier League’s financial rules.

The guilty verdict has thrown not only City’s season into doubt, but also the club’s whole future.

No punishment is currently off the table, including expulsion from the Premier League. However, City are understood to be confident that they will win the appeal.

The independent commission’s guilty verdict certainly hasn’t affected City’s players and coaching staff, judging by their impressive 3-0 win over Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.

The club appeared to be completely united as they maintained their perfect start to the 2026-27 season.

Lalas, who is no stranger to controversy and made numerous headlines during the 2026 World Cup while working alongside Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thierry Henry , issued an eyebrow-raising response when asked what happens if Man City end up winning the Premier League this season.

Asked if pundits and the wider media will ‘destroy’ the Premier League by declaring City’s potential title triumph as ‘not legitimate’, Lalas responded:

> “All this clutching of pearls (but don’t ask how they got ‘em) and then breathlessly capitalizing on the story. It’s created a clear villain (every story needs one) and an us-vs-world narrative. It’s compelling drama. Lemons into lemonade. And I’m in. PL will be fine. Now I want Man City [to] win it all.”

When someone put it to Lalas that ‘cheating is not compelling’, the 56-year-old replied: “News, sports, books, film, TV, music, art, etc. have all historically and demonstrably shown that you are wrong.”

In a separate tweet, Lalas added: “Go ahead and throw the book at Man. City. Do the crime, do the time. I have no problem with whatever punishment is decided. But City is more compelling this season because of it. I think it'd be incredible theater/drama if they won, specifically because of the punishment.”

Lalas suggests City’s guilty verdict makes for a fascinating sub-plot that heightens the drama in the Premier League this season, rather than an incident that threatens to have a catastrophic impact on England’s top division.

Needless to say, Lalas’ tweet has received plenty of backlash.

“Unshockingly horrendous take from one of the world’s biggest idiots,” one person wrote on X. Another replied:

> “The best litmus test for if your opinion is correct or not is to compare it to Lalas’s opinion. If they’re the same, you’re wrong.”

A third commented: “Just openly supporting proven guilty cheaters now? Can you sink any lower?”

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