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Enzo Maresca says Manchester City titles are not tainted after guilty verdict

Oct 9, 12:20 PM2 min read

Drafted by AI from the sources below, fact-checked by the Ajako Taja Editorial Team · How we use AI

AI Summary

Manager Enzo Maresca maintains City's trophies are valid and expresses full trust in the club's owners following a guilty verdict on financial breaches.

Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has rejected suggestions that the club's titles are tainted after an independent commission found the team guilty of breaching Premier League financial rules.

Speaking ahead of Sunday's match against Liverpool, Maresca stated he has "100%" trust in the club's leadership and would have joined City as manager even if he had known they would be found guilty. BBC Sport reported that the 46-year-old manager appeared relaxed during a Friday news conference, where he argued that the club's titles are "absolutely not" tainted because he knows the specific effort required to achieve them.

An independent commission found City guilty of the majority of 115 charges, including using "sham" contracts to hide secret funding. While Al Jazeera reported the alleged scheme involved more than £900 million, BBC Sport cited a figure of over £830 million. The club has appealed the verdict, describing the commission's ruling as "unsafe" and containing material errors of law and fact.

Maresca told the club's in-house media that his players are "not worried at all" and are instead "excited" for upcoming matches against Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain. He emphasized that the squad is focused on the "football side," which is the only element they can control. The manager noted that the team is currently top of the Premier League after winning their first five games of the season.

The ruling also found Manchester City guilty of failing to cooperate with the Premier League investigation. As the club prepares for a potentially hostile atmosphere at Anfield this weekend, Maresca reiterated his belief that the club will win its appeal, suggesting the proper time to discuss the matter further will be once that legal process is resolved.

Background

The financial breaches identified by the commission occurred between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons. Enzo Maresca, who was previously an assistant coach during the club's 2022-23 Treble-winning campaign, was appointed as Pep Guardiola's successor in June.