Scotland captain Andrew Robertson has said Manchester City's players should not be held responsible for the club's legal situation, following reports that the independent commission found City guilty on 114 of their alleged 115 financial rule breaches.
Erling Haaland was shielded from Norway press conference duties on Friday after news broke on an impending verdict on Manchester City's alleged breaches of the Premier League's FFP rules.
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The verdict in a case that has been ongoing for over three-and-a-half years emerged on Friday afternoon, with multiple outlets reporting that Manchester City had been found guilty on 114 of the 115 charges levied against them for alleged breaches of the Premier League's financial rules across a nine-year period between 2009 and 2018.
The finding represents the most significant legal verdict in the history of English football, arriving nearly two years after hearings before the independent commission concluded in late 2024.
Robertson, 32, spent nine seasons at Liverpool between 2017 and 2026 and was among the opponents who faced Manchester City's dominant squads during a period that overlapped with the timeline of the charges.
The Scotland international won the Premier League and Champions League with Liverpool during a spell that ran concurrently with City's most successful era in the English top-flight, giving him first-hand experience of competing against the side that could face sanctions following the independent panel's findings.
Spain captain and former Manchester City midfielder Rodri has backed his former club's innocence following reports that the independent commission found City guilty on 114 of their alleged 115 Premier League financial rule breaches.cityxtra.co.uk"We Will Believe The Club" - Rodri Backs Man City's Innocence Despite Guilty Verdict Reports
Spain captain and former Manchester City midfielder Rodri has backed his former club's innocence following reports that the independent commission found City guilty on 114 of their alleged 115 Premier League financial rule breaches.
Robertson: I Don't Think Players Are Ever to Blame
Robertson was speaking to reporters in a press conference on Saturday ahead of Scotland's UEFA Nations League fixture against Slovenia, having been asked directly about the verdict and what it means for City's players - past and present - who won trophies during the years covered by the charges.
"The Manchester City players showed they were good enough on the pitch," the Tottenham left-back said. "I don't know too much about the charges. But they had an incredible team, one I loved battling against. I don't think when it comes to these things that players are ever to blame."
Robertson's position reflects the broad view across the game that the players who won Premier League titles and cups during the relevant period were doing so legitimately as individuals, regardless of what the independent commission has found in relation to the club's financial conduct.
Among the City players who featured across the span of the charges were several who went on to become among the most decorated footballers in the club's history, including 2024 Ballon d'Or winner Rodri, who addressed the verdict separately on Friday and backed City's innocence, insisting: "Everything was deserved and I'm glad I could live one of the best eras of English football."
Despite the severity of the guilty finding on 114 counts, City are understood to be confident that they will ultimately win the argument.
Senior figures at the club are said to be calm, with sources noting that the single charge not proven against City is among the most serious of the 115 allegations they faced - a detail understood to be central to the club's belief that the appeals process will move in their favour. Sources are cautioning that it may still take up to two to three years for the case to be fully resolved.
The sanctions resulting from the 114 guilty findings have not yet been determined, with the punishment phase representing a separate stage of proceedings from the verdict itself.
City's precedent for challenging adverse findings at the highest level - the club successfully overturned a UEFA Champions League ban through the Court of Arbitration for Sport in 2020 - is understood to underpin their confidence that the outcome of the wider process remains open. An appeal is expected once sanctions are confirmed.
City's current squad, operating under Enzo Maresca in the 2026/27 season, sits entirely outside the period covered by the allegations, with the club having won five Premier League games from five heading into the international break.
Robertson will captain Scotland against Slovenia in the UEFA Nations League on Saturday afternoon. For City, the next significant development in the legal process will be the sanctions hearing, which is yet to be scheduled, ahead of an anticipated appeal before any final resolution is reached.