Enzo Maresca has replaced Pep Guardiola as Manchester City manager and is now overseeing the club's response to a significant regulatory challenge. The head coach stated that morale within the squad remains strong and players are concentrating on sporting performance rather than external pressures following the Premier League's damning findings against the club.
Manchester City was found guilty of 114 of the 115 charges brought by the Premier League, with the independent commission determining the club had engaged in financial misconduct spanning multiple seasons. The allegations centre on the use of what regulators described as "sham" contracts to conceal more than £830m in undisclosed funding.
International players returned to training on Thursday, nine days after the Premier League released its report detailing the findings. Maresca addressed the squad upon their domestic return, having communicated his expectations while most players were competing for their national teams during the international break.
The manager instructed his players to maintain their focus on football and not allow the regulatory crisis to undermine their commitment to the season ahead. In an internal interview conducted before City's trip to face Liverpool on Sunday at 16:30 BST, Maresca outlined his assessment of the squad's mindset.
"The feeling is fantastic, to be honest," Maresca said. "The players are excited for the next two games. But especially they are excited because in this moment we are top of the league. The players are just focused on that."
He emphasised that the squad understands the distinction between matters within their control and those outside it. The players recognise their professional responsibilities and the importance of maintaining concentration on competitive objectives.
"They know what we can control is the football side - they are not worried at all about different things. They know their profession and they know that the noise is there, but they don't care too much about the noise. They are just focused in this moment on how we can beat Liverpool and how, together with the fans, we can try to win in Anfield."
Maresca characterised his own emotional state as calm and expressed confidence that the squad maintains complete trust in the club's leadership and processes. City has initiated an appeal against the verdict, publicly asserting its innocence throughout the investigation and subsequent judgment.
On 2 October, Manchester City formally lodged an appeal, contending that the commission's opinion contains "clear material errors" and is "unsafe". The club has communicated this position consistently to all stakeholders, including playing staff and their representatives.
Striker Erling Haaland, the Premier League's leading scorer this season with five goals, reinforced his manager's message in comments to a sports broadcaster. The Norwegian international expressed his deep attachment to the club and his commitment to the collective effort required during this period.
"I care a lot about this place. I spent my first four years here, it's a special place for us. I care a lot about City and the fans. I am a fan myself. I feel with them. The fans will have a good time on Sunday - we have to stick together. We have to stay with each other and stay positive. No matter what happens in life, we always have to smile. Stay positive, look ahead, and try to win football games and enjoy the situation."
"We have to stick together and spread the love to each other. Enjoy the ride and smile."
How are other Premier League managers responding?
As the league resumes following a three-week break, rival clubs are exercising caution regarding public commentary on the City verdict. Managers and head coaches will be required to address the matter during mandatory pre-match press conferences, but several clubs have instructed their managers to avoid extensive public discussion.
Some press conferences took place on Thursday, with Leeds head coach Daniel Farke and Newcastle head coach Matthias Jaissle both declining to offer detailed remarks on the subject. Coventry manager Frank Lampard, who spent one season at City during the 2014-15 campaign, offered a more philosophical perspective on the potential consequences of the verdict.
Lampard suggested that players would retain their personal sense of achievement regardless of any future sanctions. He drew on his own experience of winning multiple Premier League titles with Chelsea, noting that such accomplishments exist in a player's memory and personal history beyond any physical representation or official record.
"I have titles and I don't have my titles hanging on my wall at home, I have them in my head. You are competing against the best in the Premier League and a lot of things are out of [your] control but you are competing against the best and they're very hard to win. So I think it would be very hard to take someone's title away as a player individually as they should be in your head as opposed to in a beautiful glass cabinet or whatever. I know there are some who do that."
Lampard made 38 appearances and scored eight goals during his single season with City before returning to management. When asked directly about the appropriate punishment, he declined to speculate, emphasising that such determinations fall outside his purview as a rival manager.
"What can you say when an appeal is going on? I'm not inside the story, I'm outside it completely. I played for Man City a long time ago now for one year, but we'll wait and see what the result of the appeal is and onwards. I don't know the timelines at all. I'm outside the loop. I'm not dodging the question. I just don't feel it's an answer for me to give."
"It's not my role to talk about a punishment or how much. I just can't answer that one."
What is the timeline for City's appeal?
The charges relate to alleged breaches of Premier League financial regulations spanning the 2009-10 through 2017-18 seasons. A new three-person independent panel will examine City's appeal in private proceedings. According to Premier League regulations, the hearing process should conclude within 12 weeks of commencement, with a formal decision to be communicated within 30 days following the hearing's conclusion.
City has not yet received any punishment from the Premier League, and there has been limited appetite within the league's governance structures and among member clubs for the stripping of previously awarded titles, according to reporting on internal discussions.
Key Facts
- Manchester City was found guilty of 114 of 115 charges related to financial misconduct spanning nine seasons
- The club lodged a formal appeal on 2 October, arguing the commission's findings contain material errors
- Maresca has instructed players to maintain focus on competitive objectives and not be distracted by external pressures
- A new independent panel will hear the appeal privately, with a decision expected within 42 weeks of the hearing's commencement
- City currently leads the Premier League table and faces Liverpool in its next fixture
