The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Guardiola commits to City
UEFA BAN: Boss will honour contract as chief executive denies any wrongdoing
Pep Guardiola has confirmed he will still be at Manchester City next season irrespective of the result of the club’s appeal against a two-year Uefa club competitions ban.
There had been fears boss Guardiola and a number of top players would seek to move elsewhere if City are unsuccessful in challenging their sanction for breaching Uefa’s rules on Financial Fair Play.
But after watching his side ease past struggling West Ham 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium last night, Guardiola restated his commitment to the club.
Guardiola told Sky Sports: “Personally, no matter what happens I will be here next season. If the club don’t sack me I will stay here 100%, more than ever.
“I say now that I will stay until the end of my contract. I will stay and continue to help them maintain this level as soon as possible.
“Why should I leave when I said a month ago that I love this club and I like to be here.”
City chief executive Ferran Soriano has earlier denied claims that the Premier League champions had broken the Financial Fair Play regulations.
“These allegations are simply not true,” Soriano said in a video interview on the club’s website. “The owner has not put money in this club that has not been properly declared.
“We are a sustainable football club, we are profitable, we don’t have debt, our accounts have been scrutinised many times, by auditors, by regulators, by investors and this is perfectly clear.”
Soriano, who confirmed City have referred the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, also insisted the club cooperated with the investigation.
City can only hope their upcoming fight with Uefa proves as straightforward as last night’s win over relegation-threatened West Ham.
Goals in either half from Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne were the only reward for a display in which City boasted almost 80% possession and had 20 shots at goal in a game rearranged after Storm Ciara forced the postponement of the original fixture.