Pep Guardiola speaks out with a clear message to Man City after being found guilty on 114 charges
Pep Guardiola has finally spoken out to fans after the Premier League announced that Manchester City was found guilty of 114 out of 115 charges following an independent commission hearing.
The news first came out on September 25, and the Premier League made it official with a detailed statement on September 29.
Most of the charges relate to breaking Premier League financial rules between 2008/09 and 2017/18—a time when City won three Premier League titles. Guardiola coached the team during the last of those titles, managing City from 2016 until last summer. During his time, he won 20 major trophies, including six league titles.
On Wednesday afternoon, Guardiola took to social media to share a message with fans:
“I want every single @ManCity fan to know I am here; more than ever. I am, always have been, and always will be, behind my club, my owner, my chairman, Ferran, the players, staff, Enzo, and you, our amazing supporters.
Let me be clear: we will get through this together.
I love you all 🩵.”
There are calls for City to lose the three titles they won during this period, and possible punishments could include points deductions, being kicked out or relegated from the top league, transfer bans, or having to pay compensation to other teams.
The Premier League said City used “sham contracts” to inflate revenue and cut costs. They also said City arranged hidden funding deals worth over £830 million with commercial partners.
City denies any wrongdoing and says they have strong evidence to prove their case.
The commission also said City was guilty of all but one charge related to not cooperating with the investigation. They claimed some key club witnesses gave false or dishonest evidence.
The club has until October 2 to appeal the decision.
Some former players like Rodri and Joe Hart have defended City, saying they trust the club until proven guilty. Rodri said last week, “Until the moment they are proved wrong, we will believe the club. They always show us how confident they are in their innocence.” Hart said he trusts City’s chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak completely.
On the other hand, former City defender Micah Richards said he felt “devastated” by the ruling. He told The Rest is Football Podcast, “I’ve been at that club since I was 14, and I’d do anything for them. Hearing about sham contracts used by the club was heartbreaking—not just for me but for the fans too.”
In response to the Premier League’s statement, City said:
“Manchester City FC is both disappointed and surprised by the Premier League Commission’s opinion published today. We are innocent of the accusations, and we have strong, clear evidence to support our position. We will keep fighting this case through all needed legal and regulatory steps.
The Premier League process is still ongoing, with many parts not finished yet. We have respected the process for eight years, trusting that the Premier League Board would be independent and fair.
Until everything is complete, the club can’t say more about this.”
For more details, check out the proposal for a severe 180-point punishment following the verdict.