Manchester City chief executive Ferran Soriano released a video to staff shortly after the Premier League's explosive ruling, maintaining the club's innocence. But the message misses the point: nobody will ever believe Manchester City again.
Soriano's video insists on innocence
Soriano recorded a message to all staff insisting the club had done nothing wrong. He claimed the guilty verdicts against the club for serious breaches of Premier League spending rules are based on a "single false accusation" and that a "Premier League conspiracy theory" has been at play.
City were never going to hold their hands up to this, and never will. Soriano's insistence of innocence – and that the club will appeal the verdict – was predictable.
Guardiola's legacy stained
The first three years of Pep Guardiola's decade of dominance overlapped the 2009-2018 period investigated. He was in charge of the team during the entirety of the four-year investigation. Guardiola, who left before City's house was burnt down, has not commented on events which have sent shockwaves throughout the game.
But now everyone knows that thanks to Soriano and his colleagues, the legacy Guardiola left behind will be forever stained with an asterisk.
Reputation in tatters
Soriano's transparent attempts at pleading innocence might make him feel noble and empowered, but no one will continue to believe a single word that comes out of his mouth. Posting a video claiming innocence without providing substantial evidence is laughable.
The treacherous project of deception Soriano has been complicit in has turned City from champions to 'SHAMpions'. The repetitive wrongdoing has been laid bare in all its ugly and damaging detail. The shame of such subterfuge has left his reputation in tatters.
Instead of digging a deeper hole, Soriano would be better served keeping quiet. He needs to accept both himself, his senior colleagues and his club have been unmasked. The language used in his response is devoid of contrition and smacks of threats and reprisals instead – an attitude which remains in the DNA of a club which got drunk on power and success, but is now supping in the last chance saloon which their appeal represents.
