Enzo Maresca took charge at Manchester City on a three-year contract in June, succeeding Pep Guardiola after City agreed a compensation package with Chelsea. Four months in, the Italian is managing a different kind of inheritance.
An independent commission found City guilty of 114 of 115 financial charges in late September, with the charges relating to the period between 2009 and 2018. The club has always denied wrongdoing and has pledged to clear its name, with sanctions still to be set.
Speaking to the club’s own channels after the squad returned from international duty on Thursday, Maresca kept the message tight.
“I am very calm, the club has been quite calm. We trust completely the club.”
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He pointed to alignment running from ownership through the sporting operation and into the dressing room, then refocused on the pitch at Anfield.
“They are just focused on this moment, how we can beat Liverpool, how we can, together with the fans, try to win at Anfield.”
Haaland backs Maresca’s line
Asked for the mood inside the squad, Maresca pushed the same message.
“The feeling is fantastic, to be honest.”
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“They know that the noise is there, but they don’t care too much about the noise.”
Erling Haaland picked up the same theme this week, urging the dressing room and the stands to pull in the same direction.
“I care a lot about this place. I feel with them. The fans will have a good time on Sunday, we have to stick together.”
Sanction still to be decided
Under Premier League rules, sanctions can range from a fine to a points deduction or even expulsion from the division. No sanction has yet been announced, and City is almost certain to appeal any punishment.
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City’s first match since the verdict is at Anfield on Sunday, with Paris Saint-Germain visiting the Etihad in the Champions League three days later.
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