Pep Guardiola: Everyone wants Manchester City to be punished

Pep Guardiola has claimed everyone outside Manchester City wants to see the club punished for alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules.

The news last week that Everton have been docked 10 points for breaking profit and sustainability rules has thrust the spotlight back on to City, who were charged with 115 breaches of Premier League rules in February, but deny any wrongdoing.

Everton responded to the biggest sporting sanction in the competition’s history by saying they would “monitor with great interest the decisions made in any other cases” and Guardiola said he can “feel” the wider desire for City to be punished.

Asked if there was a potential sanction big enough to make him consider his future at the club, the City manager said: “It’s a good question. I will answer when I have the sentence – [when] I have the sentence. You are questioning like we have been punished.

“And in the moment we are innocent until guilt is proved. I know the people want it [City punished]. I know, I feel it. I will wait – wait and see and after the sentence has been done we will come here and explain.”

An independent disciplinary committee has the power to administer a range of punishments if City are found guilty of breaking rules, including points deductions, sweeping fines and the ultimate sanction of expulsion from the League.

But a defiant Guardiola, speaking for the first time since the Everton judgement, suggested he was much more likely to remain at City if the club was kicked out of the Premier League.

‘There is more chance I stay if we are in League One’

“Absolutely I will not consider my future [if] it depends being here or being in League One,” said Guardiola, whose current contract at City runs until June 2025.

“There is more chance to stay if we are in League One than if we were in the Champions League.”

Guardiola claimed that some people had already made up their minds that City were guilty but stressed that City’s case was “completely different” to that of Everton.

City are alleged to have breached a series of financial rules between 2009 and 2018 and also stand accused of not cooperating with the Premier League investigation that first began in December 2018. Everton, who were charged seven weeks after City, were found to have breached PSR rules by £19.5 million over a three year period ending 2021-22.

But Guardiola has urged City’s critics to await a final verdict before rushing to pass judgement on the Premier League and European champions.

“When you read [what is said] then we should be relegated, relegated, relegated, yeah, of course,” said Guardiola, whose side face Liverpool in a top of the table clash at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday lunchtime.

“But nobody knows exactly. All the people who say that didn’t read the statements, don’t know exactly what happened. Not even myself, I didn’t read all the breaches, I didn’t read our defence.

“What I said a month ago, ‘OK, if we’ve done something wrong we’ll be punished’. But wait  – we can defend ourselves can’t we? What people accuse us of, we do not agree with what they say.

“We are going to defend [ourselves] and after the resolution is done, I will be here [to speak], like a spokesman for my club.”

‘People are saying City – why don’t they go to the Conference’

He added: “I want to say the case for Everton, and I don’t know what happened, but only I know from the lawyers and people at my club that they are completely different cases. That’s why you cannot compare because every case is completely different.

“The other one [City] is longer because it is more complicated because it’s 115 breaches. So wait. Then after with the lawyers from both sides present their cases in front of the judge and [deliver] the verdict and after I will sit in front of you and you can ask me the question.”

Experts have suggested City’s case could take between two and four years to be resolved. Guardiola has been told repeatedly by City’s hierarchy that the club have no case to answer and the Catalan said his view on the matter had not changed.

“Why should I not believe? What’s changed?” he said. “I didn’t change for one second my opinion about it – take time, wait and see what they decide and after we accept the resolution.

“I won’t say a word about Everton because I don’t know the reality of what really happened. I know when people are saying, ‘OK, City – why don’t they go to the Conference?’ Wait. And after what’s going to happen is going to happen.”

Guardiola said he remained firmly of the view that financial governance was important in football and rules should be respected.

“They decided to bring a regulation to make football more equal and the laws must be respected,” he said. “We are under scrutiny and I’m a big fan to follow the rules properly. If you do something wrong, you have to be punished. The game has to be regulated and Uefa and Fifa decide on FFP so I support that completely.”

Guardiola, meanwhile, joked that he hoped City would not be blamed for the Liverpool game kicking off at 12.30pm. The start time was moved forward from 5.30pm last month due to safety concerns, with Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp angry that his side must navigate another Saturday lunchtime kick-off immediately after the international break.

“I always have sympathy for Jurgen, what he says is right,” Guardiola said. “He is defending his club. Please don’t blame City for that as well! We are not involved! The kick-off [time] is not our fault!”

Guardiola hopes to have Erling Haaland fit for the game. The Norway striker trained on Thursday with “some niggles” but is expected to be available.