Maresca: Manchester City's Titles 'Absolutely Not' Tainted

Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca stated that the club's titles are "absolutely not" tainted after they were found guilty of the majority of the 115 charges brought against them by the Premier League. Maresca expressed his confidence in the club's owners and belief that they would win their appeal against the verdict during a news conference on Friday that focused on the matter.

The Italian manager, appearing notably relaxed, rejected the suggestion that City's titles had been tainted by the ruling, assured of the effort the club put into achieving them. An independent commission had found Manchester City guilty of all charges pertaining to breaches of the Premier League's financial regulations between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons. The club appealed the verdict and claimed in a statement that the commission's ruling contained "clear material errors, of law, principle, and fact and is unsafe."

As the team prepared for their first match since the verdict was announced, away to rivals Liverpool on Sunday, Maresca mentioned the "fantastic" atmosphere among his players, asserting they were unaffected by the "noise" surrounding the club. "The reason I joined this club is that I completely trust, 100%, the owner, the CEO, the sporting director, all the organisation. So I don’t have doubt about that," Maresca noted.

He indicated that the right time to discuss the charges would be after winning the appeal, emphasizing that he and the players could only control their performance on the pitch. Maresca, appointed as Pep Guardiola's successor in June, is entering his third spell at the club. He has won each of his first five Premier League games, potentially positioning him to become the fourth manager in the competition's history to secure a win in the first six matches.

The announcement had been made by an independent panel, which found Manchester City guilty of using "sham" contracts and providing misleading accounts to disguise secret funding of over £830 million. This verdict expected Maresca's side to receive an even more hostile reception than usual at Anfield. Addressing concerns about the match's atmosphere, Maresca acknowledged it could be tougher due to the situation but reiterated that his team needed to focus on their performance. "The reason I decided to become manager is for this type of game," he remarked.

In a lighter moment, Maresca thanked a journalist for asking a question unrelated to the verdict, confirming that Erling Haaland is "ready" to play against Liverpool after recovering from international duties with Norway. Earlier, Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany, a former Manchester City captain, commented on his pride for his years at the club despite the charges, saying that as a player, that off-field aspect did not concern him.