Enzo Maresca insists Manchester City's trophies 'absolutely not' tainted by financial rules violations

The manager reaffirmed his trust in the organization as it appeals an independent commission's ruling on 114 charges that could result in severe penalties including relegation

Oct 9, 2026 at 6:39 am ET • 2 min read

Enzo Maresca has insisted that Manchester City's titles over the last 17 years are "absolutely not" tainted as he reaffirmed his trust in the crisis-stricken club.

Earlier this month, an independent commission upheld 114 of 115 charges brought by the Premier League in relation to City's violations of the competition's financial rules. City are appealing and have maintained their innocence as they and the rest of the league await news of a sanction that could deepen the crisis for the eight-time English champions and the English game as a whole.

Between 2009 and 2018, a period in which they won three Premier League titles, City were found to have artificially reduced their costs and inflated their revenues to the tune of over £900 million, predominantly through the use of what the independent panel termed "sham" contracts with sponsors. The years immediately after saw Pep Guardiola's side embark on one of the most sustained periods of success in the sport, winning five of the next six Premier League titles in addition to the 2023 Champions League and five domestic cups.

Maresca, appointed to succeed Guardiola in the summer, was an assistant manager when City won that European title as part of their treble-winning season and had also been part of the setup between 2020 and 2021 as manager of the elite development squad. 

Asked at his press conference ahead of Sunday's game away to Liverpool if City's achievements under Guardiola were tainted, Maresca replied that they were "absolutely not." He said of the on-field achievements: "The last time I was here was the treble season. I know the effort from the players, from the club, from the manager in that time, that was Pep. 

"I know exactly the effort that the club put in to achieve that kind of target. I don't have any doubt about that."

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Maresca offered a purposeful defense of City from the outset, affirming that, "the only thing I can say is that there is a process ongoing and in this moment I completely trust the club." Asked if he had received personal assurances from owner Sheikh Mansour, he added, "I spoke with the club for sure. We all trust, and probably the right moment to speak about that is when we are going to win this appeal."

Maresca did, however, confirm that his predecessor Guardiola is due to attend City's first home game since the guilty verdict, at home to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday night. "After 10 years he can come any time he wants. Not just for game, for training session, at any moment. It will be nice for him, it will be nice for the fans, for everyone."

In May 2022, Guardiola said that he would walk away from the club if it became clear they had lied to him. Asked if he would do the same, Maresca said he "would like to speak about this situation when we win the appeal." Failing to win that appeal could result in a huge fine, a points deduction that effectively relegates City to the Championship or expulsion from the Premier League, the latter an outcome that could send the club to the fourth tier of English football or even lower.

When asked if he could assure City fans that he would stay in such a scenario, Maresca smiled warmly and made reference to his history outside the top flight. He did not, however, offer any cast-iron commitments. "I won the Championship with Leicester, so in case [we end up in] League One, we are going to see. We are thinking about something that we don't know."