Guardiola backs Manchester City after guilty verdict

Dustin Judge
Man City Pep Guardiola

Pep Guardiola publicly backed Manchester City’s ownership Wednesday in his first statement since the club was found guilty of over 100 Premier League financial rule breaches. Guardiola, who stepped down as City manager in May after 10 seasons in charge, posted on social media that he remains committed to the club despite the verdict.

“I want every single Manchester City fan across the world to know I am here; more than ever,” Guardiola wrote in a post that included a photograph alongside City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak. “I am, always have been, always will, be behind my club, my owner, my chairman, Ferran, the players, staff, Enzo and you, our unique supporters.”

He added: “Let me be clear: we will get through this together. I love you all.”

What the verdict means

An independent commission found City guilty of arranging “sham” contracts with commercial partners between 2009-10 and 2017-18 as part of a “disguised funding scheme” to artificially inflate revenues by approximately £830 million. The breaches violated both Premier League and UEFA spending limits, and the commission determined the club failed to cooperate with investigators.

The guilty verdict covers the period when Guardiola managed City from 2016 onward. During his tenure, he led the club to six Premier League titles, including four consecutive championships from 2021 to 2024, and their first UEFA Champions League title in 2023.

City has denied all charges and announced its intent to appeal the decision by the Friday, Oct. 2 deadline, according to Sky Sports. Chief executive Ferran Soriano called the process a “Premier League conspiracy theory” in a video message to players and staff.

Guardiola’s new role

Though no longer manager, Guardiola serves as a global ambassador for City Football Group. His statement marks his most direct public defense of the club’s ownership since the verdict, which has drawn scrutiny of his legacy and calls from some observers—including Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher—for City to be stripped of titles won during the period covered by the charges.

Guardiola was replaced as manager by Enzo Maresca, who has started strongly with City atop the Premier League table after six matches.

What’s next

Manchester City’s appeal process will unfold over coming weeks. On the pitch, City’s next Premier League match is Sunday, Oct. 11 away at Liverpool’s Anfield, according to Yahoo Sports.

Reporting from ESPN, Yahoo Sports, Bleacher Report and Sky Sports contributed to this story.

Dustin Judge is the Founder and CEO of Total Apex Media, bringing more than 20 years of writing and editorial experience to the company's growing network of digital publications. He specializes in sports, sports betting, fantasy sports, and digital publishing, with a focus on producing accurate, timely, and engaging content for readers. Dustin oversees editorial strategy, content development, and publishing operations across Total Apex Media while remaining actively involved in sports, betting, and fantasy sports coverage.