Arteta backs Manchester City after £900m financial breaches verdict: 'I completely trust the club'

Mikel Arteta has thrown his backing behind Manchester City after an independent commission found the club guilty of 114 Premier League financial rule breaches, saying he trusts the club “now, in the future, always.”

The verdict, announced during the international break, found City had used “sham” contracts and disguised funding amounting to more than £900m across a nine-year period between 2009 and 2018. City have maintained their innocence and lodged an appeal against the ruling, with manager Enzo Maresca also expressing full confidence in the club’s ownership.

Arteta served as Pep Guardiola’s assistant at City from 2016 to 2019, a spell that included two Premier League title wins. The first of those, in 2017/18, fell within the final year of the period covered by the breaches.

“I trust the club now, in the future, always. I completely trust the club,” the Arsenal head coach said when asked for his reaction.

Arteta was careful to acknowledge the limits of what he could say while proceedings remain unresolved. “Fully understand the question, but I will respect the process. I think the timelines — it is still an ongoing process that is not resolved because it has been appealed. My position and the club’s position is not to make any further comment until it is resolved.”

The appeal means the case is far from settled, and no sanctions have yet been confirmed. City’s hierarchy, coaching staff, and now at least one prominent alumnus of the club have aligned publicly behind the appeal effort, though the process is expected to take considerable time before a final outcome is reached.