Enzo Maresca calls out a reporter in his first press conference since the Man City verdict and gives a bold reply.
Manchester City head coach Enzo Maresca seemed to call out Sky News’ Rob Harris during his first press conference since the club was found guilty of breaking Premier League financial rules.
City will play their first game after the verdict when they visit Liverpool at Anfield on October 11. Maresca’s team will be aiming to keep their perfect record this season. However, the atmosphere is expected to be tense since Liverpool is one of the teams most affected by City’s rise since 2008.
The charges cover a nine-year period from 2009 to 2018, during which City won three Premier League titles. Liverpool finished second in 2013/14 under Brendan Rodgers, and they also finished second to City in the 2018/19 and 2021/22 seasons with Jürgen Klopp as manager.
As you might expect, most questions at Maresca’s press conference on October 9 were about the guilty verdict. Along with regular City reporters, journalists from other media outlets, including Sky News’ Harris, attended. Maresca noticed some new faces and spoke directly to Harris.
Harris asked Maresca three questions: if he agrees with the CEO’s idea of a conspiracy against the club by the Premier League; whether he has had any personal assurances from Sheikh Mansour; and if he worries about the tense atmosphere around Sunday’s game at Anfield.
Maresca replied, “It’s the first time I’ve seen your face here, so we don’t know each other. But if you ask the others here, you’ll see I’m always concerned—not just about Liverpool, but also Ipswich. I know Anfield is a special place and the atmosphere will be even more intense, but that’s one of the reasons I became a manager—to be part of matches like this.”
When asked about personal assurances from Sheikh Mansour, Maresca said, “I’ve definitely spoken with the club. We all trust them, and the right time to talk about that will be when we win the appeal.”
He also made it clear he believes City’s successes since 2009 are “absolutely not” affected by the guilty verdict. Maresca said, “The last time I was here was during the treble season. I know the hard work from the players, the club, and the manager, Pep Guardiola. So I have no doubts about that.”
City have appealed the decision and say they have “a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence” to back their case. The appeal results are expected by late December.
If the verdict is upheld, possible punishments could include suspension from the league, points deductions, replaying matches, expulsion from the league, paying compensation to other clubs, automatic relegation, or even losing titles.