Manchester City head coach Enzo Maresca has insisted he completely trusts the club over the 115 charges verdict and will only speak about the case once the appeal is concluded. He made the comments during his pre-match press conference at the Etihad Campus on Friday, ahead of Sunday's trip to Liverpool.
City were found guilty by an independent panel of the vast majority of charges the Premier League brought in February 2023. The club maintains its innocence and has lodged an appeal. If the appeal upholds the original verdict, City face unprecedented punishments.
Maresca's Trust in the Club
Asked if he understood the anger towards the findings, Maresca said: "First of all, morning, I understand the reason why, most of you are here, but the only thing I can say is something that I already said, that there is a process ongoing. And in this moment, I completely trust the club. So this is what I can say about that."
He explained why he trusts the club: "First of all, I trust the club, because I trust the people, and this is also the reason why I joined the club. And then there is not another club in the world where I would like to be, so I'm very happy to be here. I'm very proud. I said many times since day one, so this is my soul."
On whether the achievements from his previous spell, which included the Treble season, look different now, Maresca said: "Absolutely not. Again, the last time I was here was the Treble season. I know the effort from the players, from the club, from the manager in that time that was Pep. So I know exactly the effort that the club pulled to achieve that kind of target. So I don't have any doubt about that."
Appeal and Future Plans
Maresca confirmed he has spoken with the club about the situation but will wait for the appeal outcome to discuss it publicly. "I spoke with the club, for sure, and we all trust, and probably the right moment to speak about that, is when we're gonna win this appeal," he said.
Asked if he would consider his position if the appeal is lost, he said: "I just said, I would like to speak about this situation when we're going to win the appeal. Now, it's no sense to speak about anything, because I don't have many information, but, again, I understand the reason why most of you are here, because you want to hear something, but, no."
He added: "I completely trust the club. In this moment, in the future, always. Thank you. So I can modify the answer."
Focus on Liverpool
Maresca acknowledged the seriousness of the situation but stressed the team's focus remains on football. "No, you cannot avoid. We understand, we completely understand the seriousness of the situation. I'm not saying that we don't understand that. We understand, the player understands, but it's our duty, our job, to try to control the noise. Also, because, again, the manager and the players, we are focussed to win games, not about something different," he said.
He also confirmed that Pep Guardiola will attend the PSG game next week: "I spoke with Pep the last time after Man United game, after the derby. That was the last time I spoke with Pep, and I know that he's coming on Tuesday [Wednesday]."
Regarding the atmosphere at Anfield, he said: "It's the first time I saw your face here, so we don't know each other, but if you ask the guys that are always here, I'm always concerned not just about Liverpool, but I will be concerned also about Ipswich. I know that Anfield is a nice pitch, probably will be even more work in terms of environment, but the reason why I decide to be manager is for this kind of game."
On whether he would have taken the job if the verdict had been published before he joined, Maresca said: "100%."
