Joe Hart has said he does not believe Manchester City will be found guilty of their Premier League charges, citing his trust in chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak. The former goalkeeper, 39, was speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's The Monday Night Club, becoming one of the first ex-City players to react publicly to Friday's reporting on the verdict.
Hart's confidence in the chairman
Hart played 348 times in 12 years at the club and was part of City's first two Premier League-winning teams. He said: "I've heard everyone else go down every single rabbit hole, every single wormhole, every single discussion. My honest opinion is I've got no reason not to trust Khaldoon [Al Mubarak]. What he said is enough for me."
He added: "I loved how he spoke. I loved the letter because that was from someone who cared about the club." Al Mubarak, an Abu Dhabi Executive Council member, wrote an open letter to supporters over the weekend, stating: "The Premier League process still has a long way to run, and our confidence and intent in proving the Club's innocence is just as strong as when this began."
Hart's message on the pitch
Hart continued: "If Man City are found guilty, which I don't think they are because of what Khaldoon said, then there are conversations to be had, but right now I'm very confident and very, very calm." He concluded: "I did what I did. I lined up 11 v 11 and had it out on the pitch. I won some games, lost some games, drew some games, and I shook hands, and I walked off. I know what I did, I know what we did, and I know how it happened. It didn't feel like we were scheming or plotting."
