Pep Guardiola Reacts to Manchester City's Guilty Verdict in Premier League Financial Rules Case

Former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola expressed his support for the club Wednesday after the Premier League found City to be guilty of over 100 charges related to the league's financial rules.

In a post on X, Guardiola wrote that he is here for Manchester City and their fans "more than ever," before adding, "we will get through this together."

Premier League CEO Richard Masters released a statement Tuesday in which he declared that Manchester City "systematically broke Premier League rules for nearly a decade" by using "sham contracts" as well as "misstated accounts."

Manchester City's alleged violations occurred between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons, and per the league's statement, they resulted in a balance sheet that was inaccurate by £900 million, which translates to nearly $1.2 billion.

The Premier League alleged that Manchester City misrepresented their finances to ensure they would stay within the Premier League and UEFA's spending limits.

Manchester City released a statement in response to the Premier League's verdict, noting that the club was "both disappointed and surprised by the opinion of the Premier League Commission."

It was also declared in the statement that Manchester City will "now pursue the appeal avenues open to it, on the basis that the opinion contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact, and is unsafe."

During the nine-year period that the Premier League determined Manchester City violated financial rules, the Sky Blues won three Premier League titles.

Guardiola became City's manager in 2016, leading the club to six Premier League titles, including four in a row from 2021 to 2024.

He also helped Manchester City win their first and only UEFA Champions League title to date in 2023.

After 10 seasons on the job, Guardiola stepped down as Manchester City's manager in May, and he was subsequently replaced by Enzo Maresca.

However, Guardiola has remained a key figure within the club, serving as a global ambassador for City Football Group.