Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says he is “fully convinced” that the Citizens are innocent despite being charged by the English Premier League for allegedly breaching financial rules.
Pep Guardiola: "I am not moving from this seat. I. Can. Assure. You. Now more than ever, I want to stay. Sometimes I have doubts: seven/eight years is a long time. Now, I do not want to move on." pic.twitter.com/srrhrIwM7u
— City Report (@cityreport_) February 10, 2023
The Premier League charged the English champions with more than 100 alleged breaches of financial regualations on Monday and has referred the findings to an independent commission.
“My first thought is we’ve already been condemned,” the Spaniard said. “We are lucky we live in a country where everyone is innocent until proven guilty. It seems like we have been sentenced already.
“What is going to happen, I don’t know. We have good lawyers and I know we are going to defend our position.”
Speaking in May 2022, Guardiola explained why he had backed City back then and is confident the club will prove their innocence again.
“This happened with UEFA, it is the same,” he said. “The same articles, the same accusations. We will defend ourselves like what happened in the UEFA situation. The court will dictate what happens.
“I am fully convinced that we will be innocent. Since Abu Dhabi took over the club, it has been like that since day one.”