Maresca backs Man City to win appeal and vows to stay even if relegated

Enzo Maresca has declared his total trust in Manchester City’s appeal process following the club’s guilty verdict on 114 of 115 Premier League financial charges, and insisted there is “not another club in the world” he would rather manage — even if the punishment were relegation.

The independent commission found City had used “sham” contracts to disguise more than £830 million in funding between 2009 and 2018. The club has maintained its innocence and confirmed it will appeal, and Maresca — speaking to reporters for the first time since the verdict was delivered during the international break — firmly backed that position.

“There is a process ongoing and in this moment I totally trust the club,” Maresca said. “The right moment to speak is when we win this appeal. Now there is no sense to speak about this because I don’t have the information. I think it’s fair from my point of view, from all of us, to respect the process.”

Maresca also defended the integrity of City’s treble-winning 2022/23 season, a campaign he was part of as a member of Pep Guardiola’s coaching staff. Asked whether that achievement now felt tainted, he was unequivocal. “Absolutely not. I know the effort from the players, from the club, from the manager in that time. I know exactly the effort that the club put to achieve that kind of target. So I don’t have any doubt about that.”

The City manager, who succeeded Guardiola in the summer, also reiterated his confidence in the club’s hierarchy — including owner Sheikh Mansour, chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak and chief executive Ferran Soriano — who have faced intense scrutiny since the verdict.

On the question of relegation, Maresca was equally direct. “There is not another club in the world I would like to be,” he said. “I’m very happy and proud to be here. I’ve said it since day one.”

With the legal process set to run its course, Maresca made clear his focus remains on the pitch. “For me and for the players, we can control the football side,” he said. “We are focused on that. We can control it.” City head into their next fixture against Liverpool at Anfield having made a perfect start to the Premier League season.