Manchester City captain Ruben Dias has said the players are 'very calm' and trust the club after the guilty verdict, as they focus on winning football matches. Speaking for the first time since the verdict, Dias backed the players' faith in the hierarchy while the club appeals.
City have appealed a verdict that found they cheated to the tune of £900m over nearly a decade, insisting they have irrefutable evidence, although a three-man independent panel thought differently. In their first game back, the Blues beat Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield on Sunday.
Players unfazed by 'cheats' chants
Hostile cries of 'cheats' from the Anfield crowd failed to get a rise out of the City stars, dispelling any notion that the players would be affected by what Enzo Maresca has called the 'noise'. Having been around when the charges were first brought in 2023, when City went on to win the Treble, Dias did not feel the weekend was a new experience.
"I feel like when you build yourself as a player, you build yourself against any kind of noise," he said. "Personally, and I really feel like I speak for the whole group, we're very calm. We trust the club, we're very calm and we're very focused on enjoying football."
Team meetings and focus
Unlike in 2023, news broke this time while City players were scattered all over the world with their national teams. After reassurances were quickly given over messages, the players met with club bosses when they returned to Manchester last week to ensure everyone was focused.
"When it broke, we obviously felt like we should have a conversation as soon as we got back. We did so just for everyone to be on the same page and to obviously be clear about our peace of mind. And we moved on from there," Dias said. "It's the things we can control, it's the things we've always been doing and enjoying so much. So we have full confidence on the club. We trust the club and we love to win."
Defending the club
Dias is relishing the task of leading the group through such an exceptionally difficult challenge this season and has full faith in the club's position. "I'm here for it, so we'll be the other three captains and so we'll be the rest of the team. We will defend the club, we will fight for it, and we trust the club," he added.
