Guardiola backs City after 114 guilty verdicts

Pep Guardiola has publicly backed Manchester City after an independent commission found the club guilty of 114 of the 115 financial charges brought by the Premier League.
In a post on X and Instagram on Tuesday, Guardiola wrote: 'I want every single @ManCity fan to know I am here; more than ever. We have been through a lot together; we will get through this together. I love you all.'
The commission ruled that between 2009-10 and 2017-18, the club used 'sham contracts' and 'disguised funding' to inflate revenues by 830 million pounds, breaching financial rules across nine seasons. City CEO Ferran Soriano dismissed the verdict as a 'Premier League conspiracy theory', and the club is expected to appeal.
City have until Friday, October 2, to lodge an appeal, which would trigger a hearing of up to five days and a decision within 30 days. Any sporting sanction remains the biggest unanswered question in English football.
Guardiola himself left the club in May 2026 after ten years and 20 trophies, with Enzo Maresca succeeding him. His message suggests the former manager remains firmly in the club's corner as it fights the most serious verdict in Premier League history.
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