Former Manchester City midfielder Nico Gonzalez has spoken about the guilty verdict against his former club, saying he 'feels bad' for the players and the staff.
City have been found guilty by an independent panel on 114 of the 115 charges brought to them by the Premier League. It was confirmed that the commission found the club to have arranged 'sham' sponsorship deals to inflate their revenue by around £900 million. City have hit back on that and have appealed the decision, saying they have 'irrefutable evidence' that proves their innocence.
If the guilty verdict is upheld, then City could face punishments including big points deductions, relegation from the Premier League or massive fines. Exactly what the punishments could be are still unclear.
Gonzalez's Sympathy for Former Colleagues
Gonzalez, who secured a £50 million transfer from the Etihad Stadium to Newcastle United in the summer, is likely to be following developments at his former club particularly closely. While he declined to discuss specifics, he conveyed his sympathy for his former colleagues.
Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: "It's hard for me because I have mixed emotions, I really want them to succeed, not only my old teammates, but people who work there. I had a year and a half there and I built so many connections and so many relationships and I will always wish them the best personally.
"But obviously, I am just a player, I can't say 'this has to be the punishment'. I just wish them personally, everyone I have been around, the best."
"The club, I don't know what to say because I am not aware of everything, I'm just like outside so I can't say anything."
Impact on Players and Staff
When pressed on whether it will prove challenging for the players, he continued: "That's something I didn't like, not knowing what's going to happen in the future, so obviously I feel bad for them."
"Not only for them, but for some staff members, some people that work behind the scenes, so I feel bad because for everyone it must be a really hard situation."
The 24 year old has featured three times for Newcastle since completing his transfer, but suffered a setback after sustaining a head injury early in the loss against Leeds United. Concussion protocols dictated that he had to miss the victory over Hull City ahead of the international break.
He is however expected to be available for Monday night's away fixture against Coventry City (8pm kick-off) as Premier League football resumes. City, meanwhile, are preparing for the Premier League clash against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday afternoon.
