Coach Pep Guardiola bitterly quoted the saying “there are no enemies or friends, only interests” to highlight nine Premier League clubs that want to eliminate Manchester City from the Champions League.
Manchester City successfully appealed a two-year Champions League ban in July 2020. That comes after many rivals of the Etihad Stadium team in the Premier League tried to get rid of Pep Guardiola’s team.
Pep Guardiola named the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United when he named nine teams that tried to knock Manchester City out of the Champions League three years ago. At that time, the European Football Federation (UEFA) banned Man City from participating in European competitions, including the Champions League for 2 seasons because this team violated financial fair play laws.
Guardiola’s side were punished after an independent panel of UEFA’s Club Financial Control Body found them to have exaggerated sponsorship revenue between 2012 and 2016. City were also found to be “inappropriate” cooperate in the investigation” and were fined 30 million euros (£27 million), but they claim they did not receive a fair hearing and successfully appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). ). As a result, Man City’s ban was overturned and the fine reduced to 10 million euros (£9 million).
However, now the Etihad Stadium team is embroiled in another accusation from the Premier League. Accordingly, the Premier League has accused Man City of breaking more than 100 times of financial fair play. In his press conference before the match against Aston Villa in the Premier League, Man City coach Pep Guardiola turned his attention to nine Premier League opponents. The Spanish teacher accused these 9 clubs of “stabbing in the back” and wanted to eliminate Man City from the Champions League 3 years ago.
Pep Guardiola said: “While we wait for UEFA to issue a verdict against us, nine teams – Burnley, Wolves, Leicester City, Newcastle, Tottenham, Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea want us out of the Champions League League.
It is said that there are no enemies or friends, only interests. They want to get rid of us to take the place we have won on the pitch. They said, “You have to be out of the Champions League. You have to go to League One or League Two.”
Man City used to play in the lower divisions. We will be back, no problem. We’ll call Paul Dickov and Mike Summerbee (former City players) and we’ll do it again. But they should wait. We will defend ourselves, like we did in the situation with UEFA.”
During the scandal that year, Pep Guardiola announced he would leave Man City immediately if it was discovered that the club leader had lied to him about financial matters. Pep fully believes when the leader of Man City assures him that the club is clean.
Now, the Spaniard repeats that. Pep Guardiola criticized opponents who condemned Man City only for unproven accusations. He fully believes that Man City will be vindicated.
Pep Guardiola added: “Man City have proven that they are completely innocent (in 2020). What has happened since Monday is the same as what happened to UEFA. We were condemned. You have to understand that 19 Premier League teams are accusing us that we are not able to defend. I fully believe that we will be innocent.”
Guardiola cannot let the noise around distract him from the task at hand when Man City welcomes Aston Villa in the Premier League at Etihad at 23:30 tomorrow 12-2. Manchester City may be 8 points behind Arsenal in the Premier League title race by the time they play, when the “Gunners” welcome Brentford at 10pm today (February 11) at the Emirates home.
