Guardiola returns to Etihad as City face PSG amid 114-charge guilty verdict

Pep Guardiola is set to return to the Etihad Stadium for the first time since stepping down as Manchester City manager, attending their UEFA Champions League fixture against Paris Saint-Germain on October 14 — a match that arrives less than three weeks after an independent commission found City guilty of 114 out of 115 Premier League financial charges.

The regulatory commission delivered its verdict on September 25, ruling against City on charges relating to alleged financial rule breaches between 2009 and 2018. The club have denied the findings and formally lodged an appeal, stating that “a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence” exists to prove their innocence.

Guardiola, who handed over managerial duties to Enzo Maresca at the end of the 2025/26 season after a decade in charge, broke his silence on the matter in a public statement on September 30. “I want every single fan to know I am here; more than ever,” he wrote. “I am, always have been, always will be, behind my club, my owner, my chairman, Ferran [Soriano], the players, staff, Enzo and you, our unique supporters.”

The Spaniard had previously addressed the financial inquiries during his tenure. At a press conference in May 2022, he outlined the terms of his trust in the club’s hierarchy: “I said to them: ‘If you lie to me, the day after I am not here.’” He added: “I put my faith in you because I believe you 100 per cent from day one and I defend the club because of that.”

City arrive at the PSG fixture in form on the pitch, having beaten Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield on October 11. Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki scored second-half goals after Liverpool’s Ryan Gravenberch was sent off, giving Maresca’s side a commanding Premier League victory.

Guardiola’s presence in the stands will carry symbolic weight. During his ten years at the club between 2016 and 2026, he accumulated 20 trophies, including six Premier League titles and the 2022/23 Champions League. His return comes at a moment when the institution he built is navigating the most significant off-pitch crisis in its history.