Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola spoke about the charges still hanging over the club as he leaves the Etihad after ten years
Premier League CEO Richard Masters with Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola(Image: Visionhaus/Getty Images)
Pep Guardiola leaves Manchester City insisting that he trusts the club when they insist on their innocence from the Premier League charges they were accused of in 2023. The allegations are still outstanding as Guardiola makes his exit but the manager remains clear what he thinks.
As much as Guardiola has won fans over with his football – in terms of both style and success rate – he has also stood out as the biggest champion of the club for supporters in the face of serious accusations of cheating for nearly a decade. First when UEFA attempted to throw City out of the Champions League and then when the 115 charges from the Premier League hit, Guardiola has passionately and emphatically pushed the case for their innocence – at least until anything is proven.
The fact that Guardiola has staked his own personal reputation on his belief that City are innocent has helped Blues to be convinced, and the way the coach has used the allegations as extra motivation to win even more in this period has delighted them as much as when he said he would stay in charge in the lower leagues with some of the club’s former players if necessary.
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Despite the manager’s wish to stick around until after a verdict had been announced, the long delay – it is more than 16 months since all the evidence was heard – has even beaten Guardiola as he leaves City feeling like he will not have the energy to push for trophies again next season. He joked on Friday about coming back to give a press conference once a verdict finally comes quipping “if you find me,” but spoke more seriously about why he believes in the club’s position.
“I trust them. I spoke with them and trust how they behave and how they did,” he said. “What happened, happened. That will be the resolution. Nobody in the backroom staff was here, it was a long, long time ago and I trust them. I said before what happened and I say now “