Luis Enrique defends Manchester City despite 114 breaches, sparks controversy

On the eve of the Champions League showdown between Manchester City and PSG, Luis Enrique publicly defended the English club, accused of more than 114 financial breaches out of 115 recorded, including alleged fraud estimated at one billion euros. His comments immediately sparked fierce controversy.

When asked at a press conference about the heavy sporting and financial sanctions threatening the Citizens, the Spanish manager showed surprising benevolence: “There’s a lot of noise around the big clubs and it’s Manchester City’s turn. I hope everything works out well for them because everything that has been done on the pitch has been incredible. They deserved to win all those trophies.” He then added: “The trophies you win on the pitch stay on the pitch. I hope they avoid a sanction.”

These statements immediately drew a reaction from Daniel Riolo. Speaking on L’After Foot, the commentator lashed out at what he considered an unacceptable stance: “It’s simply scandalous what he’s saying. It means you can cheat and still deserve success on the pitch. But what do you deserve on the pitch if you’ve cheated, if you’ve committed financial fraud and had players you shouldn’t have had?” Riolo also argued that Luis Enrique “spits in the face of Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool” by making such wishes.

The commentator also highlighted the disconnect between the Paris manager and the reality of English football, where the City affair has sparked considerable emotion. “I think he’s not very aware that in England, there’s very strong feeling around this story, or that former great players — like Steven Gerrard, Gary Neville or Roy Keane — are up in arms,” he insisted, before concluding that Luis Enrique “should only talk about football.”

The Manchester City case, which concerns breaches of Premier League financial fair play rules over several years, remains one of the most complex in English football history. The final decision rests with an independent commission, whose verdict is still awaited.