MANCHESTER – Enzo Maresca has stood firmly behind Manchester City’s ownership after the club was found guilty of breaching Premier League financial regulations in what has been described as the competition’s most significant scandal.
Speaking on Friday, the City manager said he retained complete confidence in the club’s leadership and rejected any suggestion that its unprecedented success in English soccer had been undermined by the verdict. An independent panel found that City had overstated revenue by more than $1 billion, helping finance the recruitment of several of the sport’s biggest names.
“I completely trust the club now, in the future and always,” Maresca said during his first news conference since the panel’s findings were released last week.
“The reason I joined this club is because I have 100% trust in the owner, the CEO, the sporting director and the entire organization. I have no doubts about that.”
Maresca was addressing the media before Manchester City’s Premier League meeting with Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.
The verdict inevitably dominated the discussion. The United Arab Emirates-backed club was found to have committed almost all of the more than 115 alleged violations brought against it, covering a period in which City transformed the competitive landscape of the world’s most-watched soccer league.
Manchester City has consistently denied the accusations and has appealed the ruling.
“I would like to discuss this situation once we win the appeal,” Maresca said.
When asked whether the ruling had damaged City’s achievements during more than a decade of dominance, Maresca gave a blunt response: “Absolutely not.”
Maresca took charge at the end of last season after Pep Guardiola brought his trophy-filled 10-year spell as manager to a close.
Before becoming manager, Maresca had served on Guardiola’s staff during City’s treble-winning 2023 campaign.
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Asked whether he would still have accepted the role if the verdict had been issued before his appointment, Maresca replied, “100%.”
“I have known this organization for years, and I know how seriously they operate. I know they do things the right way,” he said.
“I trust the club because I trust the people, and that is another reason I decided to come here. There is no other club in the world where I would rather be, so I’m very happy.”
Maresca’s immediate priority is keeping his players focused as City prepare for the difficult trip to Anfield.
“We fully understand how serious this situation is. I’m not saying that we don’t. We understand it, and the players understand it too. But our responsibility is to manage the noise,” he said.
“For me and the players, the only thing we can control is what happens on the pitch. That is where our focus is, and that is what we can influence.”
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James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson
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