Pep Guardiola spent years defending Manchester City as the club faced a Premier League investigation into alleged financial rule-breaking. Even after leaving the manager’s job, he reaffirmed his support for the club after an independent commission found City guilty.
Guardiola joined City in 2016, part-way through the nine-year period covered by the Premier League case. Throughout his time at the Etihad Stadium, he repeatedly said he trusted the club’s hierarchy and believed City would be cleared.
His first major comments came after City’s 6-0 FA Cup final win over Watford in May 2019, when he was asked whether he had received undeclared payments.
“I listen to my chairman and my CEO, and I trust them. They tell me we are fair and we absolutely follow the rules. I believe them.”
In February 2020, after Uefa imposed a two-year European ban on City for Financial Fair Play breaches, Guardiola backed the club’s appeal.
“When someone believes they are right, they have to fight. The club has to fight and I trust the club 100%.”
The Court of Arbitration for Sport later overturned the Champions League suspension. Guardiola said City had been damaged because people had treated them as guilty before the process had concluded.
When the Premier League announced 115 charges against City in February 2023, Guardiola again insisted the club were innocent.
“My first thought is that we are already being condemned. I am fully convinced we will be innocent.”
He also said City would accept the independent commission’s decision if it found them guilty, while questioning what would happen if the club were eventually cleared.
As the case dragged on, Guardiola repeatedly called for a verdict. In May 2023, he said: “We would love [the verdict] tomorrow – this afternoon better than tomorrow.”
He also said in November 2023 that he would remain at City even if the club were relegated to League One, while promising to explain his position once the verdict arrived.
In August 2024, he said he was happy the hearing was finally starting and hoped it would finish soon.
By September, as the hearing began, Guardiola again stressed the presumption of innocence. In February 2025, he expected a verdict within a month. It eventually took much longer.
Before leaving City in May 2026, Guardiola again said: “I trust them. I spoke with them and trust how they behave and how they did.”
After the commission found City guilty last week, Guardiola posted on social media: “Let me be clear: we will get through this together. I love you all.”
City are appealing the verdict. Guardiola is also still employed by City Football Group as a global ambassador and is expected to attend City’s Champions League match against Paris St-Germain next week.
