Joe Hart backs Man City chairman and insists he has 'no reason not to trust' innocence claim

Former Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart has publicly backed the club’s chairman amid swirling reports that a Premier League panel is set to find City guilty of 114 of the 115 financial charges levelled against them, saying he remains “very confident and very, very calm” about the outcome.

City have been under investigation since 2023 over alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial regulations across the period 2009 to 2018 — a span during which the club won eight trophies. Although no official ruling has been issued and the process is ongoing, reports that began circulating last Friday suggested the verdict would find City guilty of 114 of the charges.

The speculation prompted chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak to address supporters directly on Saturday. “The Premier League process still has a long way to run, and our confidence and intent in proving the club’s innocence is just as strong as when this began,” he wrote, adding that strict legal confidentiality prevented him from sharing further detail.

That statement proved sufficient for Hart, who spoke on BBC 5 Live on Monday. “If Man City are found guilty, which I don’t think they are because of what Khaldoon said, then there’s conversations to be had,” he said. “But right now I’m very confident and very, very calm. I’m very proud of what I’ve achieved and what I did with Manchester City and what we achieved as a team. And that doesn’t change. That doesn’t change until you tell me.”

Hart made 348 appearances for City, winning two Premier League titles, the FA Cup and two League Cups during his time at the club. He described Al Mubarak — who became chairman after the Abu Dhabi takeover in 2008 — as someone who has “led the club brilliantly”.

“I’ve heard everyone else go down every single rabbit hole, every single wormhole, every single discussion,” Hart added. “My honest opinion is I’ve got no reason not to trust Khaldoon. What he said is enough for me. I loved how he spoke. I loved the letter because that was from someone who cared about the club.”