Former Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has broken his silence after Manchester City's guilty verdict, defiantly standing "behind my club".
City were found guilty of 114 of the 115 charges brought against the club related to serious breaches of the Premier League's financial regulations between 2009 and 2018 by an independent commission. However, City remain they are innocent and will appeal the verdict.
Guardiola's defiant message
Guardiola has sided with his former club with a post on X: "I want every single @ManCity fan to know I am here; more than ever. I am, always have been, always will, be behind my club, my owner, my chairman, Ferran, the players, staff, Enzo and you, our unique supporters.
"Let me be clear: we will get through this together. I love you all." Guardiola added pictures of him alongside the senior management team in the post.
Premier League's verdict
Sharing the verdict on Tuesday, the Premier League said City have "arranged 'sham' contracts (which misrepresented the true agreement between the parties) with a number of its commercial partners, as well as relying on 'sham' agreements with others, to artificially inflate the club's revenues and reduce its costs".
The club filed misstated accounts and concealed the true state of its finances from its auditors and football regulators. They added throughout the investigation City "committed multiple breaches of its duties of co-operation and utmost good faith towards the League (three of the four alleged breaches were upheld)".
City's response
Richard Masters added "the club systematically broke Premier League Rules for nearly a decade" and the verdict "vindicates the Premier League's decision to pursue this case against Manchester City".
City said they were "disappointed and surprised by the opinion of the Premier League Commission" and they will be "relentless, and where necessary proactive, in any and all appropriate regulatory and legal forums".
