Pep Guardiola previously said he would remain Manchester City manager even if the club were found guilty of alleged breaches of financial rules and relegated as a punishment.
His stance has resurfaced in the wake of The Athletic reporting on September 25 that Man City have been found guilty of all but one of the 115 charges brought against them by the Premier League.
Verdict delivered after long investigation
The verdict was delivered by an independent commission following an investigation and legal process spanning several years, with the alleged breaches related to a period between 2009 and 2018.
Guardiola was appointed Man City manager in 2016, a position he held for just under a decade until stepping down at the end of the 2025-26 season, bidding farewell by delivering a Carabao Cup and FA Cup double.
Guardiola's promise to stay
Speaking in November 2024 after penning a contract extension, the Spaniard was quizzed about potential punishments such as relegation if City were to be found guilty of the alleged FFP rule breaches.
He explained: “I said six months ago when all the clubs accused us of doing something wrong, what happens if I get relegated: I will be here. We will come back to the Premier League [if that happens]. I knew it then, and I feel it now.”
Having departed Man City in May, Guardiola can no longer live up to his promise, though he did reiterate his belief in Man City’s innocence as he prepared to bring an end to his tenure at the Etihad Stadium.
He said: “I trust them. I spoke with them and trust how they behave and how they did. What happened, happened.”
Guardiola was then asked if he would come back to Manchester for a news conference once the outcome of the charges had been revealed, and he replied: “If you find me, yeah, but that will be difficult.”
Club insists process ongoing
Man City, meanwhile, insist that the process regarding their Premier League charges for alleged financial rule breaches remains “ongoing”, with “significant elements” still to be completed.
In a statement sent to Standard Sport on Friday after the reports emerged alleging that the club had been found guilty on the majority of charges, a City spokesperson said: “The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality.
“As such Manchester City FC’s position remains consistent with the club’s statement of February 2023.
“The club has diligently respected due process for eight years on the basis the Premier League board and executive would behave as an independent, impartial and fair minded regulator, free from partisan influence.”
