MANCHESTER — Former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has declared he will "always" stand behind the club after an independent commission found City guilty of all charges related to breaches of the Premier League's financial rules between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons, ruling the club arranged "sham contracts" to disguise secret funding of more than £830m. The league confirmed the verdict covers all financial breach charges and all but one charge relating to failure to co-operate with the investigation, while City, owned by the Abu Dhabi United Group, continue to deny wrongdoing and have until 2 October to submit an appeal.
"I want every single Manchester City fan across the world to know I am here; more than ever," Guardiola wrote in a social media post after the verdict. "I am, always have been, always will, be behind my club, my owner, my chairman, Ferran [Sorriano], the players, staff, [manager] Enzo [Maresca] and you, our unique supporters. Let me be clear: we will get through this together." Guardiola took over as City manager in July 2016 before leaving last summer.
During his decade in charge, Guardiola led City to six Premier League titles — including a record four in a row from 2017-18 — as well as the Champions League in 2022-23, three FA Cups and five League Cups. He had said in November 2024 he "will be here" even if the club were relegated. Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said in a statement on Saturday the club remains confident of proving its innocence, while chief executive Ferran Soriano said Tuesday in a video message to staff and players that "irrefutable evidence" had been "ignored" by the commission. The club said it was "both disappointed and surprised" by the guilty verdict.
Former Manchester City defender Micah Richards, who was on the bench when Sergio Aguero scored the title-winning goal in 2012, said he felt "absolutely devastated" after reading the Premier League's damning findings. "The reports were troubling," he said on The Rest is Football podcast. "I saw the words which were used by the Premier League in 'sham contracts' and I felt absolutely devastated. I was at that club since I was 14 years old, I would die for that club." The 38-year-old added his former digs host, a supporter for more than 60 years, rang him in tears seeking answers: "I feel saddened, I feel angry, I feel a little bit confused because, on the other side, you have City's side of the story."
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, who retired in 2013, said he felt for players whose careers may now carry an asterisk. "I feel for the players. They'll almost feel like a lot of their career is going to have an asterisk, or a lot of people will be calling it a sham," he said. "The players were told everything was fine. What the [City] hierarchy are coming out with now, they're just gaslighting. I think the titles should be taken off their list. Whether other clubs get them is probably slightly different. City have not just hurt their own players." City won their second Premier League title in 2013-14, overtaking Liverpool during the run-in to finish two points above the Reds — the closest Carragher's long-time team-mate Steven Gerrard came to winning the title. "Those players will never get that feeling and it was robbed by Man City," Carragher added on Sky Sports News. "No-one remembers the medal. Giving trophies or medals back, it doesn't mean anything. It's not about medals, it's about feelings."
The fallout follows the Premier League's confirmation that City were found guilty of all financial breaches, with attention now on the club's appeal before the 2 October deadline and what sanctions may follow.