Pep Guardiola had not planned to return to Manchester City so soon, but has decided to come back because of his belief in the club's innocence over 114 financial charges. Just a few months after leaving his role as manager, Guardiola is set to be at Etihad Stadium for City's Champions League clash against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday.
Return to Show Support After Guilty Verdict
In late September, the Premier League confirmed that City had been found in breach of all financial charges by an independent panel. An appeal has been lodged against the outcome, with City continuing to protest their innocence. That stance was reiterated by Guardiola in a message on social media in the wake of the guilty verdict.
That read: "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."
Meetings Before the Match
Guardiola will now show his support in person by flying into Manchester on Wednesday before watching City vs PSG in the directors' box alongside chairman Khaldoon Al-Mubarak, as per The Sun. Talks with the latter and CEO Ferran Soriano will take place first.
It has also been claimed that Guardiola had no plans to return to City so soon after departing, but given what has happened since his exit, the 55-year-old is determined to stand by his former employers due to his unwavering belief in their innocence. This will be City's first home match since the verdict, and it arguably could not be against a better opponent with 2025 and 2026 Champions League holders PSG in town.
Players Remain Focused
City beat Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday to keep their 100 per cent winning record intact, with the players overcoming a hostile atmosphere inside Anfield. City captain Ruben Dias was quick to praise such an achievement while insisting that the players remain focused.
He said: "It's a win at Anfield. In whatever circumstance, so be it now maybe earlier in the season, so be it later in the season, any time - I and we will enjoy it just as much, and we will celebrate it however it feels in the moment, and it will obviously be a show of how much it means to us.
"Yes, there's a lot of noise, and it's almost impossible to avoid seeing something - even us, being as private as we can be, and doing just our own lives. On your phone it's impossible to avoid everything.
"But I feel like we're all so very good at focussing ourselves on our job, doing it right, making the most of it, being happy every time we come to work, and our minds are very much there, and only there.
"It's the things we can control, the things we've always been doing, and enjoying so much. We have full confidence on the club, we trust the club, and we love to win!"
