Everything Pep Guardiola said about Manchester City’s 115 charges

A verdict has seemingly been reached in the long-running Manchester City course case with the club reportedly set to be found guilty on nearly all of the 115 charges levied against them. Manchester City have always denied all of the charges that relate to breaching Premier League financial rules, and could yet appeal, but may well face stiff sanctions nearly two years after a hearing into the matter concluded. The alleged breaches related to a period between 2009 and 2018 in which the club became a Premier League powerhouse, with the final two years of that span encompassed within the tenure of Pep Guardiola . The manager was appointed to the club in 2016 and went on to win six Premier League titles and a Champions League crown during a decade of dominance in Manchester before departing earlier this year. There is no suggestion that the manager had any awareness of any alleged wrongdoing. It has been a prolonged and protracted saga, with Guardiola first asked about possible breaches in 2019 after Uefa launched an investigation over an alleged breach of financial fair play (FFP) which followed reporting in German outlet Der Spiegel about their sponsorship deals. Those reports claimed that Roberto Mancini, who managed the club between 2009 and 2013, had been paid extra via a second contract with Al Jazira in Abu Dhabi. Guardiola reacted angrily when asked if he had ever received payments of that type in the moments after Manchester City secured a domestic treble with an FA Cup success at Wembley. The manager said: "Honestly, do you think I deserve to have this type of question, the day we won the [domestic] Treble, did I receive money? Are you accusing me of receiving money?" Pep Guardiola left Manchester City earlier this year (Getty) Uefa gave the club a two-year ban in 2020, a sanction that was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas). Guardiola has always backed the hierarchy, and said he would walk away if he felt that he had ever been lied to. “"They explain and I believe them," he stressed. In 2023, after the Premier League charges, Guardiola felt that other individuals had pre-judged the verdict while urging a speedy resolution to the matter. "My first thought is we're already being condemned," the Catalan coach said. "It's the same with Uefa, we were already condemned. The club proved we were completely innocent." "In the end, I know fairly that what we won we won on the pitch. We don't have any doubts." Having signed a contract extension a year later, Guardiola insisted he would remain at the club – even if, as some speculated, they were relegated over the matter. "People say 'what happens if we are relegated?' I will be here.” As he prepared to bring his tenure to an end in May, Guardiola again reiterated his belief in Manchester City’s innocence. "I trust them. I spoke with them and trust how they behave and how they did. What happened, happened." Enzo Maresca succeeded Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium ahead of the start of the new season, with his predecessor yet to take a new managerial role despite considering an approach from Italy. The 55-year-old had produced a playful response when asked if he would come back for a press conference once the outcome of the charges had been announced. “If you find me, yeah, but that will be difficult,” he quipped.