What Guardiola Said About Man City Charges Over Nine Years
Pep Guardiola spent nearly a decade defending Manchester City against accusations of financial rule-breaking. The Catalan coach promised to resign if club executives lied to him and later pledged to stay even if the team dropped to League One. Here is a look at every major statement he made before the guilty verdict.
Byvarela6 min read
Manchester City were found guilty of deliberate financial rule-breaking over a nine-year period, a ruling that sent shockwaves through English football last week. Pep Guardiola, who led the club to 20 trophies between 2016 and 2024, returned to the spotlight with a message of solidarity: "Let me be clear: we will get through this together. I love you all." The Catalan had spent years insisting on the club's innocence and promising to walk away if his trust was betrayed.
- Guardiola defended City's innocence from the first Football Leaks allegations in 2019.
- In 2020 he threatened to resign if club executives lied to him about the finances.
- In 2023 he said he would stay as manager even if City were relegated to League One.
- After the guilty verdict he posted a message of unity and is expected at the PSG match.
Furious first response after the 2019 FA Cup final
Guardiola's first public remarks on the financial allegations came in an atmosphere of maximum tension. He had just thrashed Watford 6-0 in the FA Cup final when reporters asked if he had received undeclared payments following the Football Leaks disclosures. He took the question as a personal attack and responded with visible anger.
Did I receive money for another situation, right now, today? Honestly, do you think I deserve to have this type of question, the day we won the treble... did I receive money? Are you accusing me of receiving money?
He then appealed to the trust he placed in the club's leadership: "I listen to my chairman and my CEO, and I trust them. They tell me we are fair and we absolutely follow the rules. I believe them." That trust became the foundation of his public defence for years to come.
The resignation threat and the League One pledge
In February 2020, Uefa found City guilty of breaking Financial Fair Play rules and banned the club from European competition for two seasons. Guardiola urged the club to fight the decision. Months later, after the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned the suspension, he lashed out at those who had assumed the club cheated.
The people say we cheated and were lying - and many times. The presumption of innocence wasn't there.
That period also produced one of his most striking promises. He told the City hierarchy that if they lied to him he would leave the next day and never be their friend again. "I put my faith in you because I believe you 100% from day one and I defend the club because of that," he said.
Guardiola's response to the Premier League's 115 charges
On 10 February 2023 the Premier League announced 115 charges against Manchester City. Guardiola's press conference that day was one of the most charged of his tenure. "My first thought is that we are already being condemned. I am fully convinced we will be innocent," he said, while accepting the judge's decision if the verdict went against the club.
The coach was particularly irritated by the sense that the public had already decided the outcome. He promised to hold a press conference to explain everything once the ruling arrived. A few months later, in November 2023, he went further, insisting he would rather stay in the dugout with City in League One than leave the club.
The long wait for the final verdict
Guardiola repeatedly asked for the process to speed up. In May 2024 he said he wanted the hearing to start soon and finish quickly, and in September, when the legal proceedings began, he again took aim at the general mood: "I know what people are looking for. I know what they are expecting - they don't just want us relegated, they want us to disappear off the face of the earth."
In February 2025 he went as far as predicting a verdict within a month, a forecast that proved far too optimistic. The independent commission took considerably longer, and expressed frustration with the timeline when it finally published its findings last week.
The summer exit and a message after the ruling
Guardiola left Manchester City at the end of the 2024-25 season after a decade in charge and 20 trophies. Before departing he reaffirmed his belief in the club's leadership one last time: "I trust them. I spoke with them and trust how they behave and how they did. What happened, happened."
The guilty verdict arrived after he had already stepped away from the dugout, but he did not stay silent. He posted a message of unity on social media and is expected to attend the Champions League tie against Paris Saint-Germain at the Etihad next week, the first home match since the ruling. City are appealing the decision, and Guardiola remains tied to the club as a global ambassador for City Football Group.
Frequently asked questions
Did Guardiola promise to leave if Manchester City were found guilty?
He threatened to resign in 2020 if the club's executives had lied to him about the finances. He left the Etihad in the summer of 2025, before the guilty verdict was confirmed, but still works for City Football Group as a global ambassador.
Would Guardiola have stayed at City if they were relegated?
He said in November 2023 that he was more likely to remain if the club dropped to League One than if it stayed in the Champions League. His departure in 2025 meant the pledge never had to be tested.
What was Guardiola's first reaction to the guilty verdict?
He posted a message of support on social media saying the club would get through it together and that he loved everyone connected to City. He is expected at the PSG match, the first home game since the ruling.