Pep Guardiola has come out fighting in response to Manchester City’s battle with the Premier League and insisted he will not quit the club.
In an extraordinary defence of his employers, who were this week charged with over 100 alleged financial irregularities by the league, Guardiola insisted he still believes in City’s innocence – and he hit out at rival Premier League clubs in the process.
“Go to the chairman, CEOs, [Tottenham chairman] Daniel Levy, ask them,” he said. “These 19 Premier League clubs have set a precedent. What they [rival PL clubs] have done to us, be careful with that.
“They open a precedent right now, what they have done to us, be careful, because in the future many clubs can make suggestions and there are a lot of clubs that can be accused like we are being accused without maybe being innocent,” he said.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future. I can have an opinion and feeling but when they push to get rid of us from this competition, that is obvious because they believe that we didn’t behave properly and we can accept that but let us defend when we believe we did it properly.
“We are not part of the establishment of this league but at the same time I understand they can do it but let us defend ourselves please.”
Guardiola had previously vowed to walk out on the club if it was ever proved that the City ownership had lied to him – and the authorities – after they were hit with a series of charges by Uefa. But the City manager has insisted that he believes his bosses in the wake of the Premier League accusations and quashed suggestions that club’s problems could lead him to quit the Etihad.
More from Football
“Hopefully the only reason they are going to sack me is the results,” said Guardiola.
“It is the reason managers leave their position or stay in the position. And I think in that situation we will decide together because of the confidence and trust that we have in each other. But I am not moving from this seat. I can assure you, more than ever that I want to stay.
“Sometimes I have doubts, seven years already is a long time in any country. Now I don’t want to move. Not because people say they lied to you Pep. They didn’t lie to me. Look what happened with Uefa.
“I said to them: what happened? Pep, we did nothing wrong. We proved it. It is the same case.
“Why should I [not] trust my people? Why should I trust the CEOs or the owners of the 19 clubs, the nine clubs like it was with Uefa?
“No, I trust my people. Between them and my people, I trust my people. Not one second for the other ones.”
Guardiola repeatedly referenced City being found “innocent” after Uefa’s investigations into alleged wrongdoing – although technically, it was the Court of Arbitration for Sport that found in the club’s favour and that was on procedural matters.
But the City boss insisted that his club is now innocent until proven guilty – and was particularly disparaging about nine rival clubs who launched the Premier League investigation in the first place, following the Uefa charges.
“Personally, I am happy we are here,” he said. “Like Uefa, it happened, we have the chance to defend ourselves. I think we have good lawyers, but we can’t say Uefa had bad, bad lawyers.
“I think the Premier League, supported by 19 teams, will have good lawyers too to defend their position like we’re going to defend our position. I would have loved to wait and see and time will dictate what’s going to happen.
“Just in case we are not innocent we will accept what the judge in the Premier League decides, but what happens if in the same situation that Uefa happened we are innocent, what happens to restore or pay back our damage?
“Because the damage is now for one decade. One week later, Uefa make a statement against us, nine teams – Burnley, Wolves, Leicester, Newcastle, Spurs, Arsenal, United, Liverpool, Chelsea – [write a letter wanting us] out of the Champions League, that they wanted that position.
“Like Julius Caesar, in this world, they are not enemies or friends, just interests. They wanted to put it out to take that position that we won on the pitch, take it in our position. Now it is not different in that moment, absolutely zero. The same articles, the same accusations, the same everything.”
The extensive raft of charges levelled against City could leave the club facing dramatic punishment, with some observers even talking of the prospect of relegation.
It was a possibility that the City manager has faced before, when City were banned from the Champions League, before CAS offered them a reprieve.
More on Manchester City FC
Billionaire owners like Sheikh Mansour don’t love you – you don’t owe them your loyalty10 February, 2023
Opinion | Sorry, but financial regulations really shouldn't apply to Manchester City09 February, 2023
Business as usual: Inside the mood of Man City and a defiant Guardiola after a week of chaos08 February, 2023“We have to be out of the Champions League, now we have to go to League One – no, that is not enough, League Two or maybe the Conference,” he said, sarcastically.
“We are not a team with a long history or titles, we have been in the lower divisions and we will be back there. It’s not a problem just in case.
“We’ll get Paul Dickov and Mike Summerbee and we will do a good process and will be back, I’m pretty sure. But they should wait because at the end, the Premier League decide we’re going to defend ourselves as we did in the Uefa situation.”
Guardiola, while clearly harbouring a grudge against the nine clubs who lodged an official complaint, also sounded a warning about the dangers of such a precedent.
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/LIRh8Xk
Post a Comment