Pep Guardiola has publicly backed Manchester City following the club’s guilty verdict over serious breaches of Premier League financial rules, telling supporters he remains behind his former club “more than ever”.
The Spaniard, who left City earlier this year after a decade in charge, issued his first public response on Wednesday following the publication of an independent commission’s findings.
City were found guilty of all charges relating to serious financial breaches across a nine-season period between 2009/10 and 2017/18, as well as the majority of charges concerning the club’s failure to cooperate with the Premier League’s investigation.
Guardiola made clear he was standing by the club, its ownership and its supporters despite the ruling.
“I want every single Man City fan to know I am here; more than ever,” Guardiola wrote.
He said he remained behind “my club, my owner, my chairman, Ferran, the players, staff, Enzo and you, our unique supporters”.
Guardiola concluded: “Let me be clear: we will get through this together. I love you all.”
His post was accompanied by images from his hugely successful spell at the Etihad Stadium, including photographs of Guardiola with chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, celebrating the 2023 Premier League title and lifting the Champions League trophy.
Commission finds serious breaches
The Premier League announced on Tuesday that an independent commission had found City guilty of serious financial breaches relating to the period between 2009 and 2018.
Among its findings, the commission concluded that City arranged “sham” contracts with commercial partners and relied upon other agreements that misrepresented the true arrangements between the parties.
According to the Premier League, those arrangements were used to artificially inflate City’s revenues and reduce its costs.
The commission also found the club filed misstated accounts, concealed the true state of its finances from auditors and football regulators and significantly breached both Premier League and UEFA spending limits.
It concluded that City “clearly intended to circumvent” Premier League rules.
The commission also upheld three of four allegations relating to City’s failure to cooperate with the Premier League investigation, which began in 2018.
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters described the decision as the “most significant in Premier League history”.
More than £830m in revenue
The findings include details of what the commission described as a “disguised funding scheme”.
According to the ruling, City arranged contracts with commercial partners which artificially inflated the club’s revenue by more than £830million across the period examined.
The commission also found City had overstated income from image rights by almost £74million and understated liabilities relating to staff contracts by almost £17million.
The findings relate partly to a period before Guardiola arrived at Manchester City in 2016, although several seasons under investigation overlapped with the beginning of his tenure.
Guardiola repeatedly defended the club while the case was ongoing and previously said he trusted City’s hierarchy when they maintained that the allegations were false.
The former manager has now maintained that support following the commission’s decision.
Manchester City deny wrongdoing
Manchester City continue to reject the findings and have indicated they will appeal.
The club said it remains innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League and claimed there is a “comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence” supporting its position.
City also alleged that the ruling contains “clear material errors, of law, principle and fact” and described the decision as “unsafe”.
Chief executive Ferran Soriano has separately criticised the proceedings in a message to staff and players.
City have until Friday, October 2, to exercise their right to appeal the independent commission’s findings.
An appeal would be heard by an Appeal Board separate from the commission that delivered the original decision.
That means the findings announced this week could still be challenged and potentially altered before the disciplinary process is finally concluded.
What punishment could Manchester City face?
No punishment has yet been imposed.
The question of sanctions will be dealt with separately at another hearing before the independent commission.
Premier League rules give commissions broad powers when deciding how clubs should be punished for breaches.
Potential sanctions available under those rules include fines, points deductions and other sporting penalties.
More severe possibilities, including City’s future status in the competition, have also been discussed following the ruling, although no decision on punishment has yet been made.
The Premier League has said it intends to move through the remaining process as quickly as possible, including any appeal lodged by City.
The scale of any eventual punishment is therefore still unknown.
Guardiola stands by former club
Guardiola’s intervention carries particular significance because of his association with City’s most successful period.
He arrived from Bayern Munich in 2016 and transformed City into the dominant force in English football during much of the following decade.
Across his time in Manchester, Guardiola won six Premier League titles, the Champions League and three FA Cups, as well as a collection of other domestic trophies.
The 2022/23 season represented the high point, with City becoming only the second English men’s team to complete the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League treble.
Guardiola eventually stepped down in 2026, with former assistant Enzo Maresca succeeding him.
At the time of his departure, Guardiola described his decade at City emotionally but said there was no single reason behind his decision to leave.
Despite no longer being employed by the club, his latest statement makes clear that his connection with City remains strong.
It also places him publicly alongside the club’s hierarchy as Manchester City prepare for what could become another lengthy legal and regulatory battle.
For now, the guilty findings stand, no sanction has been imposed and City have confirmed their intention to fight the decision.
Guardiola, meanwhile, has left supporters in no doubt about where his loyalties remain.
