Maresca backs Man City completely despite guilty verdict on 115 charges

Enzo Maresca delivered an unflinching show of support for Manchester City at his pre-match press conference on Friday, two weeks after an independent panel found the club guilty of the vast majority of 115 Premier League charges dating back to February 2023.

City have lodged an appeal against the verdict and continue to proclaim their innocence. If the appeal fails, the club face unprecedented punishments. Maresca, speaking publicly to the wider press for the first time since the ruling, made clear he is standing firmly behind the club’s position.

“There is a process ongoing, and in this moment I completely trust the club,” Maresca said when asked whether he understood the outrage felt by many at the findings. “This is what I can say about that.”

When pressed on why he trusts the club and whether he had sought to see the evidence City refer to as irrefutable, Maresca pointed to the relationships he has built since joining. “I trust the club because I trust the people, and this is also the reason why I joined the club. There is not another club in the world where I would like to be, so I’m very happy to be here. I’m very proud.”

Maresca was also asked whether the achievements he witnessed during his previous spell at City — which included the Treble-winning 2022-23 season under Pep Guardiola — now look different to him in light of the verdict. He was unequivocal. “Absolutely not. I know the effort from the players, from the club, from the manager in that time that was Pep. I know exactly the effort that the club pulled to achieve that kind of target. I don’t have any doubt about that.”

On whether the titles feel tainted, his answer was equally brief: “Absolutely not.”

Maresca also addressed the position of his current squad, who face scrutiny at every fixture for the remainder of the season. “For the players, we can control just the pitch side, the football side. We are focused on that, and this is what we can do and can control. We cannot control something different.”

The press conference came ahead of City’s trip to Liverpool on Sunday, a fixture that carries significant weight in the context of the Premier League title race.