Arteta says conscience is clear as Manchester City appeal rules-breach ruling

Mikel Arteta has said his conscience is clear over the period he spent working at Manchester City, while declining to comment in detail on the club's Premier League rules case. According to BBC Sport, the Arsenal manager addressed the issue at his first news conference since the ruling, which City have appealed.

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Arteta served as Pep Guardiola's assistant from 2016 to 2019. That spell overlapped with the nine seasons covered by findings that City broke rules and concealed more than £830m in funding, BBC Sport reported. The independent commission found that the club used arrangements with commercial partners to disguise earnings. Those findings remain subject to City's appeal.

Asked directly whether his conscience was clear given his senior position during three and a half years at the club, Arteta answered yes. His response came towards the end of a news conference that involved more than half an hour of questioning. He declined to say whether he had spoken to Guardiola, offering no detail about any contact with his former manager.

On the wider case, Arteta repeatedly stressed that the appeal meant the process was not finished. He said his position, and what he understood to be Arsenal's position, was to withhold further comment until it had been fully resolved. Asked for his reaction to the commission's report, he instead emphasised respecting the proceedings and their timetable rather than giving an assessment of its findings.

Arteta was also asked whether the appeal and any sanction needed to be settled during the current season to protect the Premier League's integrity. He expressed trust in the people responsible for handling the case and reaching the appropriate conclusions. He did not endorse a specific deadline in his response, and maintained his belief that the Premier League was the world's best league.

The questions came with Arsenal three points behind leaders City in the league standings. Arsenal were due to host fifth-placed Leeds at Emirates Stadium on Saturday. Arteta's comments left his personal answer distinct from his public stance on the proceedings: he affirmed his own clear conscience but reserved judgment on the case while the appeal continued.