Maresca urges Manchester City squad to stay focused after financial-rules verdict

Manchester City head coach Enzo Maresca has urged his players to maintain their focus after the club was found guilty of most of the Premier League's 115 charges against it, BBC Sport reported on October 8. City's international players returned to training on Thursday, with the club appealing against the findings and continuing to maintain its innocence.

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Their return came nine days after the Premier League published a report that said City had used sham contracts to conceal more than £830 million in funding. According to the BBC, Maresca asked the squad not to let the crisis affect their attitude as they resumed club duties. Most players had been with their national teams when the verdict became public.

In an interview with the club's own media, Maresca described a positive atmosphere and said the players were concentrating on matters they could control on the pitch. He said he felt calm and that the squad continued to trust the club. City are top of the Premier League, a position he cited when explaining the players' outlook.

Striker Erling Haaland also called for unity in an interview with Sky Sports. He spoke about his attachment to City and its supporters, urging those connected to the club to remain together and positive. His comments echoed Maresca's emphasis on continuing to play football while the disciplinary process remains unresolved. The BBC reported that City's private communications to people connected to the playing staff had also firmly maintained the club's innocence.

No punishment has yet been imposed. BBC Sport reported that there was little appetite within the Premier League, among both league officials and clubs, to remove City's past titles. That reporting does not establish what sanction will ultimately follow, with the club's appeal also outstanding. The findings, any eventual punishment and the appeal remain distinct elements of the case.

Nottingham Forest manager Oliver Glasner has called for the process to reach a conclusion quickly. He referred to the uncertainty he experienced at Crystal Palace over their demotion from the Europa League to the Conference League in 2025 following a breach of multi-club ownership rules. Glasner said protecting confidence in the competition's integrity was essential, while urging observers to await a final verdict.