Former Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola has broken his silence after the club was found guilty of nearly all of the 115 charges against them, reiterating his backing of the owners and the board.
An independent commission, which was appointed following a four-year investigation to rule over the charges which stretch between 2009 and 2018, ruled that the current Premier League leaders had “sham contracts” arranged for a number of its commercial partners, finding that their income over eight seasons was “hugely overstated by over £830m”.
The club has since denied the breaches, with chief executive Ferran Soriano branding the process a “Premier League conspiracy theory” in a message to players and staff, while City have confirmed they will appeal against the ruling. They have until Friday 2 October to do so.
Guardiola has now responded to the verdict by stating that he is and “always will” be behind the club.
“I want every single Manchester City fan across the world to know I am here; more than ever,” he wrote on Instagram.
“I am, always have been, always will, be behind my club, my owner, my chairman, Ferran, the players, staff, Enzo and you, our unique supporters.
“Let me be clear: we will get through this together. I love you all.”
City’s sanction has not yet been revealed, though there is an expectation that the club could be relegated or have its titles stripped, meaning some of Guardiola’s accolades at the Etihad Stadium could be wiped from history.