Guardiola pledges support as Manchester City found guilty of financial rule breaches
Manchester City was confirmed guilty of all charges relating to Premier League financial rules, prompting reactions from former managers, players and legal experts, while former coach Pep Guardiola expressed solidarity with the club and its supporters.
The Premier League has ruled that Manchester City breached its financial regulations, finding the club guilty of all charges. The decision sparked a wave of commentary from former players, coaches and legal specialists.
Former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola posted on Instagram, saying he remains behind the club, its owners and supporters and that "we will get through this together." He added a message of love for the fans.
Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane told ITV Sport that, if he were a City player, he would discard his medals, describing the club's actions as "cheating" that rendered the achievements meaningless.
Ex-City defender Micah Richards said he felt "absolutely devastated" after reading the Premier League’s verdict, describing the reports as "damning" and expressing sorrow for the club’s supporters.
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said the titles should be removed and criticised the club hierarchy for what he called "gaslighting," adding that the situation also harms players from other clubs who missed out on trophies.
Sports barrister Yasin Patel explained that the rules were introduced to prevent clubs from overspending and that any concealment of financial data could constitute fraud, stressing the need for transparency.
Former Liverpool managing director Christian Purslow suggested that, should a final judgment be reached, a three-part sanction could include significant points deductions and a large fine, with compensation to be distributed to clubs that suffered losses.
Manchester City is scheduled to play Liverpool on October 11, a match that Carragher described as the premier fixture of the Premier League in recent years.