London (AFP) – Former Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola assured Wednesday that he was “more than ever” “behind” his former club, found guilty by an independent commission of “serious” financial offenses between 2009 and 2018 and threatened with sanctions.

Published on: 09/30/2026 - 3:28 p.m.

"I want every Manchester City supporter to know that I am here, more than ever. I am, I have always been and I will always be behind my club, my owner, my president, Ferran (Soriano, the executive director, editor's note), the players, the staff, Enzo (Maresca, the current coach, editor's note) and you, our unique supporters", wrote on success, including six English league titles and a Champions League.

"Let's be clear: we will get through this together. I love you all," added Guardiola, accompanying his post with a photo of himself with Khaldoon al-Mubarak, the Emirati president of Manchester City.

The Premier League confirmed on Tuesday that Manchester City had committed "serious" financial offenses between 2009 and 2018, in particular for having artificially inflated its revenues and reduced its costs by more than 900 million pounds (more than a billion euros), which the English giant, controlled by City Football Group, majority owned by interests from Abu Dhabi, refutes.

A sanction must still be pronounced, on an unspecified date. The club announced its intention to appeal before Friday's deadline.

The range of possible sanctions includes financial penalties, a ban on recruiting, withdrawal of points with a risk of relegation to a lower division, or even exclusion from the championship.

© 2026 AFP

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