Pep Guardiola Says FFP Investigations Will Not Tarnish Manchester City Legacy
March 8, 2019
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola does not believe the ongoing investigations into the club regarding breaches of Financial Fair Play regulations will tarnish the success he's enjoyed at the Etihad Stadium.
It was confirmed on Friday the Premier League will look into the club's financial matters and academy transfers, following the revelation on Thursday that UEFA were investigating "several alleged violations" of FFP breaches.
When quizzed on whether the allegations of wrongdoing will blemish his City legacy, Guardiola said "no, absolutely not," per Sky Sports. The City boss was then asked whether he was sure of that, and responded, "yes, definitely."
"The club is open," Guardiola added. "Hopefully it can finish as soon as possible and UEFA can decide what they see. I trust a lot what the club has done because I know them."
Sam Lee of Goal relayed footage of the City manager's press conference as he addressed questions about the investigations:
The scrutiny into City's financial dealings has intensified as of late, following the publishing of a series of allegations in German news magazine Der Spiegel, which has used findings from the Football Leaks database.
In a statement made on their official account on Thursday, City said "the accusation of financial irregularities are entirely false" and they welcome the investigation by UEFA "as an opportunity to bring to an end the speculation resulting from the illegal hacking and out of context publication of City emails."
As relayed by football journalist Sam Cunningham, previously UEFA have made it clear City could face serious punishment if the claims made by Der Spiegel do turn out to be true:
Sam Cunningham @samcunninghamIn January, Uefa's chief investigator Yves Leterme said of the allegations in @DerSPIEGEL that City had breached FFP rules: "If it is true what has been written, there might be a serious problem. This can lead to the heaviest punishment: exclusion from the Uefa competitions."
After a challenging first season at the club, Guardiola has turned City into one of the best teams in European football.
In the previous Premier League campaign, they were sensational, winning the division with a record 100-point total. Additionally, the attacking brand of football played through the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane was spellbinding at times.
Guardiola's methods have been key to that and on Friday he was recognised for the brilliant recent form of his side:
Having retained the Carabao Cup they won last season already this term, City are well in the hunt for another three trophies and what would be an unprecedented quadruple.
They moved back to the top of the Premier League table last weekend after a 1-0 win over Bournemouth, although the gap to Liverpool is just one point.
City are also well placed to progress into the UEFA Champions League against Schalke 04, having won the first leg of their last-16 tie 3-2 away from home. In the FA Cup quarter-finals they will travel to second-tier Swansea City.