Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has strongly defended the club’s history, insisting that their past titles are "absolutely not" tainted despite the club being found guilty of the majority of 115 Premier League charges brought against them. <\/p>\n
Speaking during a pre-match news conference on Friday that was overwhelmingly dominated by questions regarding the landmark verdict, Maresca reiterated his absolute faith in the club’s ownership and expressed full confidence that Manchester City will successfully overturn the ruling on appeal. <\/p>\n
The Italian manager, appearing notably relaxed and composed as he addressed the media, firmly rejected the premise that City\u2019s accomplishments on the pitch have been compromised by the independent commission’s findings. He emphasized that he knows firsthand "exactly the effort that the club put in to achieve" their success.<\/p>\n
An independent commission recently found Manchester City guilty of all charges relating to breaches of the Premier League’s strict financial regulations spanning across the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons. The extensive findings highlighted issues including ‘sham’ contracts and misleading accounts, which were reportedly utilized as part of a scheme to disguise secret funding amounting to more than \u00a3830 million. <\/p>\n
In response to the verdict, the club swiftly lodged an appeal, issuing an official statement asserting that the commission’s ruling contained "clear material errors, of law, principle and fact and is unsafe."<\/p>\n
Maresca and his squad are currently preparing for their first fixture since the announcement of the verdict, a high-profile away match against fierce rivals Liverpool on Sunday. Speaking initially in an in-house club interview on Thursday, the manager revealed that the "feeling is fantastic" among his players, adding that the squad remains entirely insulated and unaffected by the intense "noise" surrounding the club off the pitch.<\/p>\n
Expanding on his stance during Friday’s press briefing, Maresca underscored his alignment with the club’s leadership. "The reason I joined this club is that I completely trust, 100%, the owner, the CEO, the sporting director, all the organisation. So I don’t have doubt about that," he stated. "I spoke with the club for sure. We all trust, and probably the right moment to speak about that is when we are going to win this appeal."<\/p>\n
He added, "For me, the players – we can control just the pitch side, the football side. So we are focused on that. This is what we can do and what we can control."<\/p>\n
Appointed as Pep Guardiola’s successor this past June, Maresca is currently in his third distinct spell at Manchester City, having previously worked within the club’s academy and served as Guardiola’s assistant coach, a role he held during the historic Treble-winning 2022-23 campaign. The 46-year-old has enjoyed an immaculate start to his tenure, winning each of his first five Premier League matches in charge. If City defeat Liverpool on Sunday, Maresca could become only the fourth manager in Premier League history to win his first six games in charge of a club in the competition.<\/p>\n
However, the timing of the verdict means Maresca’s side should anticipate an even more hostile atmosphere than usual when they step onto the pitch at Anfield. When asked if he had any concerns regarding the anticipated crowd hostility, Maresca acknowledged the challenge. "It will be a tough game, for sure. We need to be ready, the focus needs to be about the game, but we know the environment at Anfield," he said. <\/p>\n
"It probably will be worse because of the situation but, again, it will be our duty to do our best and try to win the game. The reason I decide to become manager is for this type of game."<\/p>\n
Providing a brief team news update after thanking a journalist for steering the conversation away from the legal fallout, Maresca confirmed that star striker Erling Haaland is "ready" to face Liverpool. The talismanic forward has successfully recovered following his exertions representing Norway during the international break in Marbella.<\/p>\n
Maresca declined to confirm whether he has personally read the entirety of the independent commission’s findings. The former Leicester City and Chelsea manager also noted that the ongoing charges were never a topic of discussion during his negotiations to take over the managerial role in the summer. He insisted that he would "100%" have still accepted the position even if the findings had been made public prior to an agreement being reached.<\/p>\n
"We didn’t speak about that because I don’t think it was a problem for the club at the time and I think they are thinking in an honest way," Maresca explained. "I think they are convinced that in the end we are going to win the appeal."<\/p>\n
Reactions from across the footballing world have continued to pour in. Earlier on Friday, Bayern Munich manager and former Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany reflected on his time at the Etihad Stadium. "I played 11 years for the club and I’ve loved all the years I’ve played for the club. Everything we’ve achieved and done on the pitch I’m really proud of," Kompany said. "Everything else, as a player you’re not a part of that. Right now, as a coach of Bayern Munich, I’m not too occupied with that topic."<\/p>\n
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, who previously worked alongside Guardiola as an assistant coach at Manchester City before taking charge of the Gunners, emphasized his intent to respect the judicial process. "I think the timelines, it is still an ongoing process that is not resolved because it has been appealed," Arteta said. "My position and the club’s position is not to make any further comment until it is resolved. It is a lot of noise around it and it is an ongoing process that is not resolved yet. I think we need to respect it. There is nothing in our hands and the only thing we can do is focus on everything that we can do. That is where we put the energy."<\/p>\n
Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola and Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso both echoed the sentiment that patience is required while the appeal process moves forward. "I think uncertainty is not good for anyone and anyone involved, but the process is ongoing and we have to be patient like everyone else and see what happens at the end," Iraola noted. Alonso added, "We need to wait for the final sanctions from the panel. I think they are independent enough to assess all the situations. We have to be patient for sure. It is out of our hands, we have to respect the independence of the panel and see what happens."<\/p>\n
The ongoing legal battles surrounding Manchester City have drawn inevitable comparisons to recent punishments handed down to other Premier League clubs under Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR). Everton were deducted 10 points in November 2023\u2014a penalty later reduced to six upon appeal\u2014before being docked an additional two points in April 2024 in separate cases. Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest were docked four points in March 2024 for their own PSR breaches.<\/p>\n
Everton manager David Moyes voiced his frustration regarding the timeline and disparity of football governance. "I wasn’t here when it was difficult for Everton, when things were bad," Moyes said. "Looking at it now from where I am sitting, it looks terrible that we have been docked points and pay some fines and not that long ago. There’s other things that have been going on – nearly 10 years ago – that have not been dealt with. I find that really difficult. I hope it’s not just Everton who are getting picked on here."<\/p>\n
Nottingham Forest boss Oliver Glasner stressed the necessity of a definitive and orderly resolution. "There is no final verdict right now. That’s why I don’t see any point to comment on Man City because I can’t," Glasner stated. "But let’s say in general, if somebody cheats he needs to get punished. If not, then not. And of course, we all hope for the integrity of the game, for the integrity of the Premier League, that the final word is spoken soon. But we also know, I think there are thousands of pages to read. I read a book every night, and it takes quite long to read thousands of pages and also then find the final verdict, so it takes a little bit of time. We have to be patient, but yes, it should be soon."<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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