Pep Guardiola pledges support after Manchester City found guilty of Premier League charges

Ex-Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says he will always be behind his former team in the wake of the Premier League's guilty verdicts against the club.

Guardiola made his comments on X - his first public statement since an independent commission found City guilty of more than 100 charges related to "serious breaches" of financial rules.

The Spaniard, who was manager from 2016 to 2026, said on Wednesday: "I want every single @ManCity fan to know I am here; more than ever. I am, always have been, always will, be behind my club, my owner, my chairman, Ferran, the players, staff, Enzo and you, our unique supporters.

"Let me be clear: we will get through this together. I love you all."

Also in the X post were photos of him in a Man City shirt celebrating with club chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, lifting the Champions League trophy, applauding the fans and celebrating the Premier League title in 2023.

The infringements covered a nine-season period in which City rose to the heights of English football, becoming one of the most dominant teams of the modern period.

A report published on Tuesday said that from the 2009/10 season to the 2017/18 season, the commission found City had arranged "sham" contracts which wildly misrepresented the true agreement with sponsors.

These were done with commercial partners, and worked to inflate the club's revenues and reduce its costs, letting it spend more, according to the commission.

City's alleged financial wrongdoing was worth more than £900m over the period.

The club now face the threat of severe sanctions unless they can overturn the decision on appeal.

Possible sanctions could include a huge points deduction or even expulsion from the league, causing severe reputational damage to its Abu Dhabi ownership.

City have already indicated their intention to appeal, and say the Premier League ruling "contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact, and is unsafe".

Any appeal by City would have to be made by Friday, the league said.

The club were found to have operated a "disguised funding scheme" where Abu Dhabi companies paid a fraction of the sum recorded on the club's books.

The balance was settled by Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG), the company through which Sheikh Mansour owns the club.

That scheme was found to have inflated revenue by more than £830m over the nine-season period.

The club were also found to have overstated income from image rights by almost £74m, and understated liabilities for staff contracts by almost £17m.

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Premier League chief executive Richard Masters described the case, and the decision, as "the most significant in Premier League history", with the league's investigation having started back in 2018.

City said in a statement: "The club is innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League and a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of all of its positions relating to this case. The club will therefore be relentless, and where necessary proactive, in any and all appropriate regulatory and legal forums."

The Independent Football Regulator (IFR) chair David Kogan has reiterated its powers to assess the suitability of club owners.

He said: "The independent commission's decision raises serious issues.

"The IFR has powers to assess the suitability of owners, directors and executives and we will use these powers where appropriate, in the interests of protecting the sustainability, honesty and integrity of English football where there is clear evidence of wrongdoing by individuals."

When Guardiola quit City, he issued an emotional statement saying "what a time we have had together...don't ask me the reasons I'm leaving. There is no reason, but deep inside, I know it's my time".

While he was in charge, his expensively assembled team won six Premier Leagues, the 2023 Champions League and three FA Cups, among other trophies.

(c) Sky News 2026: Pep Guardiola pledges support after Manchester City found guilty of Premier League charges