Soccer

Pep Guardiola accuses Premier League rivals of plotting against Manchester City

Manager previously said he would leave club if it was proven they had broken the rules

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola. Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA

Jamie Jackson
Fri Feb 10 2023 - 17:12

Pep Guardiola has claimed Manchester City are already “condemned” in the court of public opinion and namechecked Tottenham’s Daniel Levy when accusing the other 19 Premier League clubs of driving the 101 charges against them.

Guardiola defiantly defended his club as he spoke for the first time since the Premier League alleged financial misconduct by City over multiple years. He repeatedly said reputational “damage” had been done even if the club are found not guilty. City have denied wrongdoing.

[ It’s not just what Manchester City have won … but what others have lost ]

The manager, who said this week’s events had made him more committed than ever to City, is adamant regarding who drove the charges. “It is the Premier League,” he said. “I don’t know why. You have to ask the CEOs, Daniel Levy [the Spurs chairman], these kinds of people.”

Guardiola drew parallels with City’s experience at Uefa, which banned the club from the Champions League in 2020 after finding they had broken financial rules before the verdict was overturned at the court of arbitration for sport (Cas).

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“My first thought is that we are already being condemned,” Guardiola said. “What has happened this week is the same as with Uefa.”

He said a number of Premier League clubs had worked against City then. “Nine teams – Burnley, Wolves, Leicester, Newcastle, Spurs, Arsenal, United, Liverpool, Chelsea – [wrote a letter wanting us] out of the Champions League, that they wanted that. Will it stop now? It’s not because of Uefa but since Abu Dhabi took over, since day one it was like that. Like Julius Caesar, they [the other clubs] are not in this world, not enemies or friends, just interests. It is the same [now]: we have to be out of the Champions League, now we have to go to League Two or maybe the Conference.”

Guardiola was asked about his previous statement that he would walk away if City’s executive had lied to him. “When they defended the accusation from Uefa, the club proved we were completely innocent,” he said. “Why should we not think right now the same when we are being condemned from charges and suggestions? You have to understand that between 19 teams of the Premier League is accusing us without the latest opportunity to defend. My chairman [Khaldoon al-Mubarak], my CEO [Ferran Soriano], my people, explain everything [so] you know exactly on what side I am.”

[ Premier League charges Manchester City over alleged financial rule breaches ]

The Cas ruling on the central finding that City’s Abu Dhabi ownership had disguised its own funding as independent sponsorship by the state’s commercial companies was that: “Most of the alleged breaches were either not established or time barred.” It said City failed to co-operate with the investigations by Uefa’s club financial control body and imposed a €10m fine for that.

Guardiola brushed aside how any guilty verdict would taint City’s trophies since Sheikh Mansour became owner in 2008. “[Sergio] Agüero scored a goal to give us the Premier League [in 2012], [Ilkay] Gündogan scored two against Aston Villa to win the Premier League some months ago. We did it on the pitch. Just in case we are not innocent we will accept what the judge decides, but what happens if it is the same situation as what happened with Uefa and we are innocent? What happens to restore or pay back our damage? Because the damage is now for one decade.”

Guardiola referred to two former popular City players for sarcastic emphasis as he said the club would play at any level necessary. “We are not a team with a long history of titles, we have been in the lower divisions and we will be back there,” he said. “It’s not a problem just in case. We’ll get Paul Dickov and Mike Summerbee and will be back, I’m pretty sure.”

Guardiola said he had not discussed the issue with his squad. “The club talked with all of us but I didn’t speak; we trained like normal to try and beat Aston Villa on Sunday.”

The 52-year-old claimed the allegations had ended any doubts about remaining at City. “I am not moving from this seat,” he said. “I can assure you, more than ever I want to stay. Sometimes I have doubts, seven years already is a long time in any country. Now I don’t want to move.”

He was pressed that he and his players would not be human if they did not have any doubts about the future. “I would say to the players: ‘Focus on your talent and after what’s going to happen in the end in one year and a half, two years.’ I don’t want to anticipate it because I don’t know.” – Guardian

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