MANCHESTER — Pep Guardiola has told Manchester City supporters "we will get through this together. I love you all" after the club were found guilty of deliberate financial rule-breaking over nine years between 2009 and 2018, a verdict Manchester City are appealing. The former City manager, who joined the club in 2016 and left in the summer, remains employed by owners City Football Group as a global ambassador and is expected to attend next week's Champions League tie against Paris St-Germain at the Etihad Stadium, the club's first home match since the verdict was announced.
Guardiola's message of solidarity last week followed years of staunch public backing for the hierarchy. After a 6-0 victory over Watford in the FA Cup final, when asked by Sky News' Rob Harris whether he had ever received separate, undeclared payments following hacked Football Leaks claims about former manager Roberto Mancini, he said: "I listen to my chairman and my CEO, and I trust them. They tell me we are fair and we absolutely follow the rules. I believe them." On 7 May 2022 he added: "I said to them: 'If you lie to me, the day after I am not here. I will be out and I will not be your friend any more. I put my faith in you because I believe you 100% from day one and I defend the club because of that.'"
BBC Sport has traced every significant comment Guardiola made on the case during his time in charge. On 19 February 2020, after Uefa found City guilty of breaking its Financial Fair Play rules and banned the club from European competition for two years, he said: "We appeal. When someone believes they are right, they have to fight. The club has to fight and I trust the club 100% what they have done and they have explained to me." On 14 July 2020, after the Court of Arbitration for Sport lifted the suspension and cleared the club of the more serious charges, he said: "We were damaged. The people say we cheated and were lying - and many times. The presumption of innocence wasn't there." On 10 February 2023, after the Premier League announced 115 charges, he said: "My first thought is that we are already being condemned. I am fully convinced we will be innocent."
Guardiola had previously insisted a guilty verdict would change his relationship with the club, yet after leaving he reaffirmed his kinship with City and chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak. During his tenure he was outspoken on Catalan independence and Israel's military offensive in Gaza, but sidestepped questions on human rights in the United Arab Emirates, whose government includes key members of City's hierarchy, and did not broach the UAE's alleged role in the conflict in Sudan, allegations the UAE has strongly rejected. Senior figures are now worried about Manchester City being in next season's Champions League while rival clubs want a range of punishments, a debate explored in Fears Grow Man City Could Play Champions League Despite Relegation.