Pep Guardiola told the world for years that he trusted Manchester City. This week an independent commission found the club guilty of 114 of 115 financial charges.
By the time the ruling landed, Guardiola had left. His last public word on the case had come in Manchester, before his final match against Aston Villa on 24 May 2026.
“I trust them. I spoke with them and trust how they behave and how they did. What happened, happened,” he told reporters, as Sports Illustrated reported.
The ruling, reported this week by Sky Sports, found that City arranged “sham” contracts and inflated revenues by £830m between 2009/10 and 2017/18. One sub-charge in a “failure to cooperate” category was not proven. Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said the ruling “details how the club systematically broke Premier League rules for nearly a decade”. City said “the club is innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League” and pointed to a “comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence” in its favour.
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‘They explain and I believe them’
Guardiola’s long defence of the club began at Wembley in 2019, moments after the FA Cup final that sealed a domestic treble. Asked about payments alleged to have been made through side arrangements, he snapped back at reporters.
“Honestly, do you think I deserve to have this type of question? The day we won the treble, did I receive money? Are you accusing me of receiving money?” he said, in comments gathered by Yahoo Sports.
In February 2020, UEFA banned City from European competition for two years. Guardiola turned the response into a matter of trust in the boardroom.
“When Manchester City are accused of breaching Financial Fair Play, I ask the board. They explain it to me and I believe them. But I tell them: ‘if you lie to me, I will leave and I will no longer be your friend’.”
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The Court of Arbitration for Sport lifted the ban in July 2020. Guardiola refused to move on quietly.
“We were damaged. The people say we cheated and were lying.”
‘I will be here’
When the Premier League filed its 115 charges in February 2023, his tone hardened.
“My first thought is we’re already being condemned. It’s the same with UEFA, we were already condemned. The club proved we were completely innocent,” he said at the time, in quotes compiled by Planet Football.
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In 2024, with fans openly wondering whether a guilty verdict might mean relegation, he addressed the worst case directly.
“People say ‘what happens if we are relegated?’ I will be here.”
He was not. Guardiola left at the end of the 2025/26 season and Enzo Maresca was appointed his successor on 29 June 2026. The 114 guilty findings landed on a squad and a bench Guardiola had already left.
Sanctions have not been set and will be decided at a separate hearing of the independent commission, with punishments ranging from a fine to a points deduction, transfer ban or expulsion from the Premier League. City have until Friday, 2 October 2026, to file an appeal.
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