Maresca and Dias face media as City prepare for PSG after guilty verdict

Enzo Maresca and Ruben Dias spoke to the media on Tuesday as Manchester City prepared to host PSG in the UEFA Champions League, with the press conference marking the club’s first public-facing occasion at the Etihad since an independent commission found them guilty of more than 100 Premier League charges.

The verdict, the culmination of a long-running case between City and the Premier League, loomed large over the build-up to Wednesday night’s fixture. City’s opening Champions League phase game ended in a win, and a second victory would represent a significant step towards securing a top-eight finish in the expanded format.

On the pitch, Maresca’s side arrive in fine domestic form. A 3-0 win over 10-man Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday extended their perfect Premier League start to six wins from six, restoring a three-point lead at the top of the table. It was also a result that underlined how quickly the Italian has settled into the role vacated by Pep Guardiola in the summer.

One of the more striking subplots to City’s early-season form has been the emergence of Rayan Cherki. Signed from Lyon for £26m after City missed out on Florian Wirtz — who joined Liverpool — the French midfielder has contributed 22 goals and assists across 39 Premier League appearances, compared to Wirtz’s nine in the same period. Sporting director Hugo Viana’s decision to pivot to Cherki now looks astute.

PSG arrive as two-time defending Champions League champions and represent a stern test of where Maresca’s City genuinely stand in Europe. The tie is the first major European night at the Etihad under the new manager, and how City perform — both on the field and in the broader context of the charges verdict — will be closely watched across the continent.