Guardiola Stands by Manchester City as Club Faces Financial Verdict

Pep Guardiola has reaffirmed his loyalty to Manchester City following the club’s guilty verdict over alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial regulations.

The former City manager said he would continue to stand behind the club’s owners, executives, players, staff and supporters, despite an independent commission finding the club guilty of breaching financial rules covering several seasons.

In a message to City supporters, Guardiola said he wanted fans around the world to know that he remained firmly behind the club.

“I am, always have been, always will be, behind my club,” he said, also expressing his support for the ownership, chairman, players, staff, manager and supporters.

“Let me be clear: we will get through this together. I love you all.”

The independent commission found Manchester City guilty of charges relating to financial breaches between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons. The club was also found guilty on all but one of the charges concerning its alleged failure to cooperate with the Premier League’s investigation.

Among the commission’s findings were allegations involving commercial agreements that the Premier League described as “sham contracts”, with more than £830m in secret funding alleged to have been disguised through those arrangements.

Manchester City has consistently denied wrongdoing and rejected the commission’s conclusions. The club said it was “disappointed and surprised” by the verdict and remains confident that it can overturn the findings through the appeal process.

Guardiola, who managed City from 2016 until his departure last summer, had previously made clear that the charges would not automatically change his commitment to the club. In November 2024, he said he would remain with City even if the club were relegated as a result of the case.

During his time in charge, Guardiola guided City to six Premier League championships, including four consecutive titles, as well as the Champions League, three FA Cups and five League Cups.

Richards: Verdict has been difficult to accept

Former City defender Micah Richards has also spoken about the emotional impact of the verdict.

Richards, who joined City's academy as a teenager and spent much of his career at the club, said he was deeply upset after reading the commission's findings.

He highlighted the language used in the report, particularly the reference to “sham contracts”, and said the situation had been painful for both former players and supporters.

Richards recalled receiving a call from the family he lived with during his early years at the club. The family had supported Manchester City for decades, and he said the uncertainty surrounding the case had left them extremely distressed.

“I haven't got the answers to tell him,” Richards said, explaining that he could not provide the information the supporter was looking for.

Richards acknowledged that City's own response to the verdict presents a different version of events.

He said he felt “saddened”, “angry” and “confused” because supporters were being confronted with the commission's findings while also hearing City's argument that the club had been wrongly judged.

Carragher calls for titles to be reconsidered

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher offered a more critical response to the verdict.

Speaking on Sky Sports News and The Rest Is Football podcast, Carragher said he believed the controversy could affect how City's achievements are viewed, particularly by the players who were involved during the period covered by the investigation.

He argued that City players had been relying on assurances from the club's leadership and could now feel that their achievements had been undermined.

Carragher also questioned whether titles won during the period covered by the charges should remain in City's record. He distinguished between removing honours from City's history and deciding whether those championships should subsequently be awarded to other clubs.

His comments also focused on the emotional significance of trophies for players, rather than simply the physical medals themselves.

The 2013-14 Premier League title was particularly significant in that context. Manchester City finished two points ahead of Liverpool, denying Steven Gerrard and his team-mates their closest opportunity to win the Premier League during Gerrard's career.

For City, however, the legal process is not necessarily over. The club has continued to reject the allegations and has until 2 October to submit an appeal against the commission's findings.

The case therefore remains unresolved from the club's perspective, with Manchester City maintaining that it can demonstrate its innocence despite the commission's verdict.