What Man City Told Their Players About the Guilty Verdict Before Facing Liverpool
Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma’s agent has said the club has reassured players that there are “no problems” following the Premier League’s ruling against City. The club was found guilty of 114 out of 115 charges after an independent commission hearing.
As the international break ends, Premier League games are back this weekend. City will play a tough match at Anfield against Liverpool, their first game since the verdict came out. City’s manager, Enzo Maresca, will probably have to talk about the situation during his press conference on October 9, as it’s expected to be a hot topic over the weekend.
Before the sixth gameweek, Donnarumma’s agent shared what the club told the players about the verdict. Speaking to Radio Napoli Centrale, Enzo Raiola said: “The Manchester City situation won’t change anything for us. Every now and then, some story comes out. The club has talked to Gigio; everyone is calm. Now, there are important matches against Liverpool and PSG, then the sporting justice process will continue. But Gigio got reassurances from Manchester City.”
So far, no City player has talked publicly about the verdict. Erling Haaland hasn’t done media interviews while with Norway recently. The charges cover the years 2009 to 2018, during which City won three Premier League titles.
Last week, the Premier League said City used “sham” contracts to boost revenue and lower costs, plus secret funding deals with partners worth over £830 million. The commission also found City guilty of almost all charges about not cooperating with the investigation. Some key witnesses gave false or dishonest evidence.
City is appealing the verdict and says they have strong evidence to support their case. The appeal will be heard by three people, should last up to 12 weeks, and a decision will come within 30 days after that.
If the verdict stands, City could face serious punishments like being banned from the league, losing points, replaying matches, paying compensation, being kicked out, getting relegated, or having titles taken away.
On October 6, BBC Sport reported that several Premier League clubs want City punished beyond just a points deduction. At least four teams think a single deduction isn’t enough and have suggested a system that would compensate other clubs based on where they might have finished if City hadn’t played.
Stay tuned as this story develops, especially with City preparing for big games ahead.