Guardiola returns to Etihad as Man City host PSG in first game since guilty verdict

Manchester City hosted Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday in the club’s first home fixture since an independent commission found them guilty of almost all 115 charges of breaching Premier League financial rules — and former manager Pep Guardiola was in the stands to make his support visible.

Guardiola, who left City in May after nine years and three Champions League titles, returned to the Etihad for the first time since his departure. The Catalan had already posted a message on Instagram backing the club’s owners and executives, but his physical presence at the ground was a further, deliberate statement of loyalty. He is now a global ambassador for the City Football Group and was not personally accused or charged in the proceedings.

The independent commission concluded that City used “sham” contracts to artificially inflate their revenue by more than £900m over a nine-year period. City have maintained they hold “irrefutable” proof of their innocence and are appealing the verdict. Potential sanctions remain severe, with expulsion from the Premier League or a points deduction large enough to make relegation a realistic prospect among the punishments available to the panel.

City arrived at the game with some momentum, having beaten Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday in their first match since the international break. Enzo Maresca’s side now face a PSG outfit who have won back-to-back Champions League titles under Luis Enrique.

Enrique himself offered a measure of solidarity before kick-off, saying publicly that he hopes City avoid sporting sanctions following the guilty verdict — an unusual intervention from an opposing manager on the eve of a European tie.

In his Instagram post last week, Guardiola wrote: “I want every single Manchester City fan across the world to know I am here; more than ever. I am, always have been, always will, be behind my club, my owner, my chairman, Ferran [Soriano], the players, staff, Enzo [Maresca] and you, our unique supporters.”