Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has already revealed that he will walk away from the club should it be found guilty of breaching financial fair play, claiming last year that ‘if you like to me, the day after I am not here’.
The club, who currently sit second in the Premier League, have been slammed with 100 charges by the Premier League across and nine-year period, with allegations that they dodged financial fair play, inflated sponsorship deals and paid inappropriate amounts to both players and managers, with the majority of the breaches “in particular with respect to its revenue (including sponsorship revenue), its related parties and its operating costs”.
It has now been left to an independent commission to rule on the breaches, and if found guilty, the club could face points deductions, relegation and also face being stripped of its titles, with the trio among the worst punishments on offer, with it being described as “the biggest scandal to have hit the Premier League”.
BREAKING: Man City charged by Premier Leaue with numerous breaches of financial rules following a four-year investigation.
This is unprecedented: pic.twitter.com/ZGzdX210qP— Martyn Ziegler (@martynziegler) February 6, 2023
And, Pep Guardiola has already made his stance on the charges clear, telling reporters last year that he would not accept being a part of a club guilty for breaching regulations and that he had been assured the Cityzens hadn’t.
“I defend the club and the people it’s because I work with them”, he told the Manchester City website in May 2022.
“When people say something or accuse us, I ask them to tell me about that and I say to them if you lie to me the day after I am not here. I will be out, and you will not be my friend any more.”
In theory, then, Monday’s news could mean the Spaniard will be out of a job on Tuesday, though should he decide to wait upon a verdict then he may be in the job for some years to come.
