Former Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart has expressed full confidence in chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak's public statement on the independent commission's guilty verdict, insisting the letter gave him all the reassurance he needed.
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The independent commission's finding that Manchester City breached the Premier League's financial rules across nine seasons between 2009 and 2018 has prompted responses from across the game since last week.
Al Mubarak, who has held the chairman role at Manchester City for 18 years, broke his silence on the case with an open letter to supporters.
The letter's central message was that the club's confidence in proving their innocence remained as strong as it had been at the outset of proceedings, with the Premier League process still having, in his words, "a long way to run".
City's formal club statement had already committed to pursuing every available appeal avenue and accused the commission's opinion of containing clear material errors of law, principle and fact.
CEO Ferran Soriano addressed staff directly in a separate internal message, framing the case as built on a single central false accusation and pointing to the club's 2020 Court of Arbitration for Sport victory - which overturned a UEFA Champions League ban - as the relevant precedent for the fight ahead.
Al Mubarak's letter echoed that direction of travel, telling supporters that "nothing has changed" in the club's position and that those who sought to undermine the club's momentum would not be given that opportunity.
Hart, who won two Premier League titles and the FA Cup at Manchester City between 2006 and 2017 and played across the majority of the period now covered by the commission's charges, was one of the first prominent former players to address the verdict publicly.
Manchester City fan-favourite Joe Hart believes the pressure on new manager Enzo Maresca will come from outside the building.cityxtra.co.ukManchester City fan-favourite Joe Hart believes the pressure on new manager Enzo Maresca will come from outside the building.
There's Always Going to Be External Pressure at Man City, Joe Hart Warns Enzo Maresca
Hart: I Love How Khaldoon Spoke
Speaking to BBC Sport on the verdict and Al Mubarak's open letter to supporters, Hart said: "I've heard everyone else go down every single rabbit hole, every single wormhole, every single discussion. My honest opinion is I've got no reason not to trust Khaldoon.
"What he said is enough for me. I loved how he spoke. I loved the letter because that was from someone who cared about the club. If Man City are found guilty, which I don't think they are because of what Khaldoon said, then there's conversations to be had.
"But right now I'm very confident and very, very calm. I'm very proud of what I've achieved and what I did with Manchester City and what we achieved as a team. And that doesn't change. That doesn't change until you tell me.
"I did what I did. I lined up 11 v 11 and had it out on the pitch. I won some games, lost some games, drew some games, and I shook hands and I walked off. I know what I did, I know what we did, and I know how it happened. It didn't feel like we were scheming or plotting."
What is the Wider Context of Hart's Comments?
Hart was at Manchester City for nearly the entirety of the period the commission's charges cover, winning the Premier League titles in the 2011/12 and 2013/14 seasons under Roberto Mancini and Manuel Pellegrini respectively.
Among other former Blues - Rodri, who left Manchester City for Barcelona this summer. offered a similar defence of the club's innocence last week, also referencing the 2020 CAS precedent and the confidence he said the club had consistently communicated to its players.
The Premier League's official statement accompanying the commission's published findings described the case as the most significant disciplinary decision in English football's history.
Chief executive Richard Masters said the verdict detailed how Manchester City "systematically broke Premier League Rules for nearly a decade" and confirmed the league's intention to move swiftly through the remaining elements of the process.
What is Next for Man City and the Charges Verdict?
Sanctions have not yet bee determined, with the punishment phase representing a separate stage of proceedings - one that City's appeal, if successful, could delay or prevent from taking effect.
Al Mubarak's letter addressed that uncertainty directly, acknowledging that "every word matters" in the positions the club has set out and that the strict confidentiality of the legal process prevented him from going into greater detail.
The sanctions hearing before the independent commission is the next formal legal stage, with the club's appeal to follow.
Enzo Maresca and co return to action after the international break sitting top of the Premier League table, with fixtures against Liverpool at Anfield and Paris Saint-Germain at the Etihad Stadium to come in the opening week of October.