Manchester City manager Maresca says he expects club to win appeal over financial breaches

Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca said at a news conference on Friday that he trusts the club's ownership and leadership. He said he expects City to win its appeal against an independent commission's verdict.

The commission found City guilty of breaching Premier League financial rules between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons. It found the club had used "sham" contracts as part of the breaches. City are appealing.

Maresca rejected the suggestion that City's titles are tainted. Al Jazeera quoted him as saying "Absolutely not" when asked about the club's past successes, and "I completely trust the club". BBC Sport quoted him as saying: "I think they are convinced that in the end we are going to win the appeal."

On Thursday, Maresca told City's in-house media that his players were not affected by "the noise" around the club.

Maresca was appointed in June to succeed Pep Guardiola. He previously managed Chelsea and was part of Guardiola's coaching staff at City. City have won all five Premier League games this season. Their first match since the verdict is away to Liverpool on Sunday.

According to Al Jazeera, the verdict was announced the previous week, and City likely face a severe points penalty that could lead to relegation or expulsion if they fail to overturn it. According to BBC Sport, the appeal should be concluded by Christmas Day if it follows strict Premier League guidelines, with a verdict in early 2027. BBC Sport also reported that Maresca would not confirm whether he had read the findings.

What is disputed

Al Jazeera says contracts inflated revenues and reduced costs by more than £900m ($1.2bn) over nine seasons. BBC Sport describes a scheme to disguise secret funding of more than £830m. Al Jazeera says City were found guilty of more than 100 breaches. BBC Sport says they were found guilty of the majority of 115 charges, while also saying they were found guilty of all financial-regulation charges in the period.

What each side says

According to Al Jazeera, City deny wrongdoing. BBC Sport quoted a club statement saying the ruling contained "clear material errors, of law, principle and fact and is unsafe".

Other managers commented, according to BBC Sport. Manchester United's Michael Carrick said: "We all need to know what's going to happen." Arsenal's Mikel Arteta said the titles are not tainted and added: "I will respect the process." Liverpool's Andoni Iraola said uncertainty is not good for anyone. Chelsea's Xabi Alonso said: "It is out of our hands." Everton's David Moyes said: "Looking at it now from where I am sitting, it looks terrible that we have been docked points and pay some fines and not that long ago."

According to the reports reviewed by Vocemundi, sanctions against City are still pending; BBC Sport quoted Alonso as saying: "We need to wait for the final sanctions from the panel."

Analysis

The case now moves to an appeal. According to BBC Sport, a verdict could come in early 2027. Until then, City continue to compete while their status remains unresolved. Several rival managers stressed patience and respect for the process. Others, including Everton's David Moyes, pointed to a perceived contrast with earlier cases. If the appeal fails, Al Jazeera reports that severe sporting penalties are likely. If it succeeds, the commission's findings could be set aside. The differing figures and descriptions of the charges in the reports show that a full public account of the findings would help readers assess the case.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.