Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca faced the press for the first time on Friday morning since the club were found guilty by an independent commission of breaching the Premier League's financial rules.
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The independent commission published its opinion on September 29, finding Manchester City guilty on 114 of 115 charges across nine seasons between 2009/10 and 2017/18.
The schemes were found to have artificially inflated revenues and reduced costs by more than £900 million. The club responded by declaring they are innocent of the accusations and possess "a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence" in support of their positions.
Manchester City lodged a comprehensive appeal on October 1, arguing the opinion contains "clear material errors, of law, principle and fact" and is unsafe.
The appeal will be heard privately by an independent appeal board, while the sanctions phase has not yet begun and will follow its conclusion. Sources suggest full resolution may not arrive until 2028 or 2029.
Maresca has already spoken on the subject in an interview with the club's official website, saying he is "very calm" and that "we trust, completely, the club". The Italian also said the focus is on "what we can control", which he described as "just the football side".
Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has spoken out for the first time since the Premier League issued the findings of an independent commission detailing breaches of the English top-flight's financial rules over an extended period.cityxtra.co.ukEnzo Maresca Says "We Completely Trust The Club" After Man City's Guilty Verdict
Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has spoken out for the first time since the Premier League issued the findings of an independent commission detailing breaches of the English top-flight's financial rules over an extended period.
Maresca speaks to the press for the first time since Man City were found guilty
Speaking in a press conference for the first time since the guilty verdict, Maresca was asked at length about the independent commission deeming the club of financial wrongdoing and failure to co-operate with the Premier League's original investigation that led to the latter's original February 2023 charges.
Maresca was asked about him referring to the controversy around the club as 'noise' in his in-house Manchester City interview earlier this week.
He said: "First of all, morning. I understand the reasons why most of you are here, but the only thing I can say is that there is a process ongoing, and in this moment I completely trust the club. This is what I can say."
The Manchester City manager was further quizzed on why he trusts the club and whether he is privy to the 'irrefutable evidence' cited by the club in their official statement combatting the independent commission's verdict.
"First of all, I trust the club because I trust the people," he added. "And this is also the reason why I joined the club. And then, there is not another club in the world where I would like to be. I'm very happy to be here, I'm very proud, I've said it many times since day one."
Having previously served as assistant to former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola in the club's historic 2022/23 treble-winning season, Maresca was subsequently asked if he views the Blues' achievements in the recent past differently in the wake of the guilty verdict.
"Absolutely not," the 46-year-old said. "The last time I was here was the treble season, I know the effort from the players, the club, the manager that was Pep. I know exactly the effort the club put in to achieve that kind of target. I don't have any doubts about that. (They don't feel tainted to you?) Absolutely not."
On the Manchester City players having to compete and operate amid a dark cloud of uncertainty around the appeal process, Maresca added: "For me and the players, we can control just the football side. We are focussed on that, and this is what we can do and control. We cannot control something different."
In a video message sent to club staff, Manchester City CEO Ferran Soriano cited a 'conspiracy' against the Blues by the Premier League. Asked whether he shares Soriano's sentiment, Maresca said: "I understand the reason why most of you are here, but the only thing I can say is what I've said already.
"The reason why I joined this club is because I completely trust 100 percent the owners, the CEO, the sporting director - all the organisation. I don't have any doubts about that."
On whether he has had assurances over Manchester City's innocence in the matter, Maresca added: "I spoke with the club, for sure, and we all trust. And probably the right moment to speak about that is when we're going to win this appeal."
Sky News' Rob Harris asked Maresca if he was worried about the impact of the noise around the charges and guilty verdict could impact his side against Liverpool on Sunday.
"It's the first time I've seen your face here, so we don't know each other, but if you ask the guys that are always here, I'm always concerned - not just about Liverpool," Maresca said in a defiant tone.
"I will be concerned also about Ipswich. I know that Anfield is a nice pitch, probably will be even more warm in terms of environment, but the reason why I decided to be a manager is for these kinds of games."
This is a developing story. More to follow.