Former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola repeatedly stood by the club throughout the Premier League’s long-running financial investigation, insisting that he trusted its leadership and would accept the eventual outcome of the independent process.
His comments over several years have come under renewed attention following the Premier League’s announcement that an independent commission found Manchester City guilty of serious financial-rule breaches covering nine seasons.
The Premier League said on September 29 that the commission found City guilty of all charges relating to serious financial breaches between the 2009/10 and 2017/18 seasons, as well as the majority of allegations concerning the club’s cooperation with the league’s investigation. The league said sanctions would be determined separately, while City has the right to appeal the findings by October 2.
The case dates back to a Premier League investigation that began in December 2018 before formal proceedings were brought against City in February 2023.
During that period, Guardiola consistently defended the club and its executives.
Guardiola’s first major response
One of his earliest prominent comments came in May 2019, after City had completed a domestic treble.
Guardiola was asked whether he had received money from the club through arrangements outside official channels. The question followed reports concerning former City manager Roberto Mancini and alleged payments connected to a second contract.
Guardiola reacted angrily, questioning why he was being asked whether he had received money.
He then made his position clear, saying that people should not be considered guilty before wrongdoing was established.
The Spaniard also said he trusted the explanations given to him by then-chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak and chief executive Ferran Soriano.
“They tell me we are fair and we absolutely follow the rules; I believe them,” Guardiola said, according to a compilation of his comments.
Support during UEFA case
Guardiola’s defence of City continued when UEFA imposed a two-season Champions League ban and a €30 million fine on the club in February 2020 over financial fair-play breaches.
City appealed the decision, and Guardiola said he trusted the club’s position.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport later overturned the European ban in July 2020.
Following that decision, Guardiola argued that City had suffered reputational damage during the process, saying the club had been portrayed as having cheated before the matter was finally resolved.
His comments established a theme that would remain consistent throughout the Premier League investigation: Guardiola said he trusted the people running the club but would leave if he discovered that they had lied to him.
Reaction to the 115 charges
The Premier League formally charged City with 115 alleged breaches in February 2023 after a lengthy investigation.
Guardiola immediately questioned what he regarded as the rush to judgment.
He said City had already been condemned in the public debate despite the independent process not having reached a conclusion.
At the same time, he acknowledged that he would accept the eventual decision if the independent process found City had breached the rules.
“If we are not innocent, we will accept what the judge and the Premier League decides,” he said.
However, Guardiola also raised a different question: if City were eventually cleared, how would the damage caused by the allegations be addressed?
Calls for a quick verdict
As the case continued to drag on, Guardiola repeatedly called for a conclusion.
In May 2023, he said he wanted the Premier League and the independent panel to reach a decision as quickly as possible.
His frustration was understandable from a sporting perspective, with the allegations continuing to surround a club that had enjoyed unprecedented success during his tenure.
By November 2023, Guardiola was asked whether the possibility of City being relegated would influence his future.
Rather than speculate about a punishment before a verdict, he said he would wait for the sentence.
He also indicated that his commitment to the club would not depend simply on which division City occupied.
Confidence in the independent panel
As the hearing approached in 2024, Guardiola welcomed the prospect of the case finally moving forward.
In August that year, he said he was pleased the hearing was about to begin and hoped it would end quickly.
A month later, he again emphasised his willingness to accept the decision of the independent panel.
“An independent panel will decide,” Guardiola said, maintaining that the principle of being considered innocent until guilt was established remained important.
The hearing eventually lasted 42 days and concluded in December 2024. The commission took considerably longer than expected to issue its findings.
Guardiola leaves City
Guardiola’s final season at Manchester City brought another chapter to the saga.
After announcing his departure in May 2026 following a decade in charge, he again said he trusted the club’s leadership and the way it had handled the case.
By then, Guardiola had won six Premier League titles, the Champions League and numerous other trophies during his time at the Etihad Stadium.
He left before the commission’s findings became public.
The verdict
The long-awaited decision finally arrived in September 2026.
The Premier League said the independent commission found that City had used sham commercial arrangements, filed misstated accounts and breached spending rules during the period covered by the case.
According to the league, the commission found that the arrangements artificially inflated revenue and reduced costs by more than £900 million, while City also committed multiple breaches of its duties to cooperate with the investigation.
The commission’s finding does not, however, mark the end of the process.
The Premier League said the question of sanctions will be dealt with at a separate hearing. Manchester City also has the right to appeal the commission’s findings, with the deadline set for October 2.
Guardiola, who is no longer City’s manager, has nevertheless made his latest position clear.
On Wednesday, September 30, he publicly reaffirmed his support for the club, its ownership, chairman, staff, players and supporters.
The former manager said he remained behind City and expressed his belief that the club would get through the next stage of the process together.
For years, Guardiola’s message had been remarkably consistent: trust the club, allow the independent process to run its course and accept the eventual outcome.
The commission has now delivered its findings. What remains is the sanction process and any appeal, meaning the legal and sporting consequences of the decision are still to be determined.
