Maresca rejects claim Manchester City's titles are tainted by financial verdict

Enzo Maresca has rejected the suggestion that Manchester City's titles are tainted by the verdict against the club over Premier League financial charges. Speaking at a news conference on Friday, the City manager said the answer was "absolutely not", according to BBC Sport. He defended the effort behind the club's achievements while reiterating his confidence in its appeal against the findings.

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BBC Sport reported that an independent commission found City guilty of the majority of the 115 charges brought by the Premier League. Its findings included all charges concerning breaches of the league's financial regulations between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons. Maresca's comments concerned how those findings should affect perceptions of City's achievements; his defence of the titles does not change the commission's ruling.

City have appealed against the verdict. In their response, the club alleged that the ruling contained material errors involving law, principle and fact, and argued that it was unsafe. Those are City's grounds for challenging the decision, rather than findings that the appeal has established. Maresca expressed belief that the challenge would succeed, but the BBC report did not announce an appeal outcome.

The manager also repeated his support for City's leadership. He said trust in the owner, chief executive, sporting director and wider organisation had been a reason for joining the club, and that his confidence remained intact. Maresca confirmed that he had spoken with the club and suggested that a fuller discussion would be appropriate after the appeal victory he expects.

Friday's news conference followed an interview with City's own media on Thursday, when Maresca described a positive mood among his players and said the surrounding controversy had not affected them. In his latest remarks, he again directed attention towards football, saying that the players could influence what happened on the pitch rather than the proceedings involving the club.

City's next match is away to Liverpool on Sunday, their first fixture since the verdict was announced. That return to competition comes with the ruling under challenge and Maresca publicly defending both the club's previous successes and its leadership. His position on Friday was one of continued support, while City's attempt to overturn the commission's findings remains a separate process.