Nocturnal 
Pep Guardiola has thrown his support behind Manchester City after the club were found guilty of breaching the Premier League’s financial rules, insisting he will “always” be behind them.
An independent commission ruled that City arranged “sham contracts” with a number of commercial partners as part of a scheme to disguise secret funding worth more than £830m. The Premier League confirmed the club were found guilty of all charges relating to breaches of financial rules between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons, and guilty of all but one charge relating to a failure to co-operate with the investigation.
City continue to deny any wrongdoing and have until 2 October to lodge an appeal.
What Guardiola said
Guardiola, who managed City between July 2016 and last summer, took to social media to voice his support for the club’s ownership and staff.
“I want every single Manchester City fan across the world to know I am here; more than ever,” he wrote.
“I am, always have been, always will, be behind my club, my owner, my chairman, Ferran [Sorriano], the players, staff, [manager] Enzo [Maresca] and you, our unique supporters.”
It’s not the first time Guardiola has made his position clear on the long-running case. Back in November 2024, while still in charge, he said he “will be here” even if the club were relegated as a result of the charges.
During his decade at the Etihad, Guardiola led City to six Premier League titles – including a record four in a row from 2017-18 – as well as the Champions League, three FA Cups and five League Cups.
City’s response and reaction from ex-players
Club chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said City remain confident of proving their innocence, while chief executive Ferran Soriano told staff and players in a video message that “irrefutable evidence” had been “ignored” by the commission. The club said it was “both disappointed and surprised” by the guilty verdict.
Not everyone connected to City has taken the news the same way. Former defender Micah Richards said he felt “absolutely devastated” after reading the Premier League’s “damning” verdict.
“The reports were troubling. I saw the words which were used by the Premier League in ‘sham contracts’ and I felt absolutely devastated,” Richards said on The Rest is Football podcast.
Richards, who came through City’s academy from the age of 14, said the fallout had also hit supporters hard, describing a phone call with the family he lived with as a teenage player. “That’s someone who’s supported the club [for years],” he said, adding that the family were left in tears asking him for answers he didn’t have.
What happens next
The case is far from over. City have until 2 October to formally appeal against the findings, and the club has made clear it intends to keep fighting the verdict.
For now, Guardiola – who left the Etihad after nine trophy-laden years – remains a vocal supporter from the outside, even as the club he built prepares for a legal battle that could shape its future.
