- Coleen Rooney turns detective
- Investigates Man City’s 115 charges
- Delivers justice for fans in parody video
The 39-year-old, who is married to Manchester United icon Wayne Rooney, teamed up with Paddy Power to announce its record-breaking ‘Justice Refund’. In the video, she fronts a satirical ‘Investigation Department’ that, among other matters, looks into City’s long-running financial fair play trial. The former I’m A Celebrity contestant presents her findings on the case and delivers her verdict, with a knowing look.
She told Paddy Power: “Fans invest so much into football, emotionally and financially, and sometimes it feels like they don’t get much back. This was a fun way to shine a light on that, whilst actually giving something back to the people who make the game what it is.”
A Paddy Power spokesperson added: “This FFP investigation has been dragging on for years and years, with fans being left completely in the dark. So, if those running the game won’t get it sorted, we thought it was about time someone stood up on the side of supporters. That’s why we’ve issued our biggest-ever Justice Refund, to give something back to those fans who have been waiting, and waiting, for any white smoke on the investigation to emerge from the Premier League.”
Paddy Power’s Justice Refund covers eight seasons and gives money back to all punters who bet on a team that finished second behind City in the Premier League since 2011. The bookmaker adds that more than 100,000 punters who backed Manchester United to win the league in 2011-12, 2017-18 and 2020-21, Liverpool (2013-14, 2018-19 and 2021-22) and Arsenal (2022-23 and 2023-24) will all have their stakes returned – despite an official verdict into City’s alleged 115 financial charges still yet to be announced.
While football fans wait for a verdict on this City case, Paddy Power states that this seven-figure Justice Refund is almost double the largest amount they have ever given back to punters. The previous highest amount came at the 2022 World Cup when Cristiano Ronaldo claimed a goal for Portugal that was officially given to Bruno Fernandes – only for the bookmaker to overrule and settle it as a goal and a shot on target.
