Luis Enrique hopes Man City avoid sanctions ahead of Champions League showdown

PSG manager Luis Enrique has publicly backed Manchester City ahead of their Champions League meeting, expressing hope that the club avoid sanctions in the ongoing case over 114 Premier League financial charges.

City were found guilty by an independent commission of breaching Premier League financial rules on 114 counts between 2009 and 2018. The Premier League alleged that the club used fraudulent sponsorship deals to inflate their revenues by £900 million. City continue to deny any wrongdoing, citing what they describe as ‘irrefutable evidence’ in their defence. A key element of that defence is the claim that the sponsorship arrangements were legitimate and funded by the Abu Dhabi government rather than the club’s owners, Abu Dhabi United Group. An outcome from the independent commission overseeing the case is expected before the end of the year.

Enrique, who played alongside City manager Pep Guardiola at Barcelona, was asked about the charges at a press conference ahead of the two clubs’ Champions League fixture. He was measured in his response but made his sympathies clear.

“There is a lot of noise around Manchester City and there is often noise around big clubs,” Enrique said. “We just have to wait and see what the final decision will be. I hope everything works out well for Manchester City because I think what they have done on the pitch has been incredible over the last few years and they certainly deserved to win on the pitch all the trophies they have won. Now we have to wait to see what the authorities decide or the judge is going to say.”

He added: “The trophies you win on the pitch remain on the pitch. They deserved to win that and I hope they can avoid the sanction. But we have to wait. The things I will say to Pep I will do in private.”

City returned to Premier League action for the first time since the guilty verdict last weekend, with Enzo Maresca’s side beating Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield. The squad were met with boos from the home support as they took to the pitch following the international break.

Calls for severe punishment, including expulsion from the Premier League, have grown louder since the verdict, though any such decision remains with the independent commission.