Guardiola backs Manchester City leadership after financial-rule verdict

Pep Guardiola has publicly backed Manchester City's owners and leadership after an independent commission found the club guilty of breaches of the Premier League's financial rules. BBC Sport reported that the former City manager used a social media post to express his continued support for the club, which denies wrongdoing and has until 2 October to submit an appeal.

Watch the highlights:

According to the BBC, the commission found that City used contracts with commercial partners to conceal more than £830 million in funding. The Premier League confirmed findings against the club on all financial-rule charges covering the 2009-10 to 2017-18 seasons. City were also found guilty of all but one of the charges concerning their failure to cooperate with the investigation.

Guardiola's message extended beyond the club's owners to its chairman, chief executive Ferran Soriano, players and staff. He also named current manager Enzo Maresca and addressed supporters around the world, telling them his backing remained unchanged. His statement was a public show of support following the ruling, while the club's leadership continued to challenge the commission's findings.

City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said in a statement on Saturday that the club remained confident it could establish its innocence. On Tuesday, Soriano told staff and players in a video message that the commission had disregarded evidence the club considered conclusive, the BBC reported. City, owned by the Abu Dhabi United Group, expressed disappointment and surprise at the verdict. Those responses reflect the club's position rather than a reversal of the findings.

Guardiola became City manager in July 2016 and left last summer after a decade in charge. His tenure produced six Premier League titles, including four consecutive championships beginning in 2020-21. He also led City to the Champions League trophy, three FA Cups and five League Cups. His arrival fell within the period covered by the financial-rule charges, which runs through the 2017-18 season.

The former manager had previously pledged his support while the proceedings were unresolved. Speaking about the charges in November 2024, he said he would remain at City even if the club were relegated. His latest intervention comes after his departure, with the commission's verdict now issued and the club's appeal deadline approaching.