‘Stick together and smile’: Haaland’s message after Man City’s explosive verdict

Erling Haaland (AP Photo)

Erling Haaland has urged Manchester City to remain united and positive as the club deals with the fallout from a panel finding it guilty of serious financial rule breaches in the Premier League.The striker made his first public comments on the issue ahead of City's return to action against Liverpool on Sunday, while manager Enzo Maresca expressed his “trust” in the club's ownership and insisted his players were not overly concerned by the controversy.The match at Anfield will be City's first since an investigatory panel published its verdict, finding that the club had artificially inflated its revenue by more than $1 billion between 2009 and 2018 to circumvent financial fair-play rules that restricted rival clubs during that period.City was found guilty of all 80 serious financial charges brought by the Premier League. The club could face severe sanctions, including expulsion from the top flight, but has appealed against the findings.Speaking to Sky Sports in an interview published on Thursday, Haaland called for solidarity within the club as it navigates the situation.“We have to stick together and we have to spread the love to each other. So yeah, stick together, enjoy the ride and smile,” he said.Asked what message he had for City supporters travelling to Anfield, where the team could face a hostile reception, the Norwegian reiterated the need to remain united and keep a positive outlook.

“We have to stick together, we have to stay with each other and we have to stay positive.“No matter what happens in life, we have always have to have a smile. So we have to stay positive, look ahead and try to win football games and then try to enjoy the situation and the game.”Maresca also addressed the controversy for the first time in an interview released by City, with domestic football having been on hold for the past three weeks because of an extended international break.The manager said he remained calm about the situation and was confident in the club's handling of the matter.“Personally I'm very calm to be honest,” he said. “The club has been quite clear. We trust completely the club. We understand the noise but the focus for us is just what we can control and we can control just the football side."

Maresca added that the mood within the squad was “fantastic” ahead of a demanding run of fixtures, with City set to face Liverpool on Sunday before taking on Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday.City have won all seven of their matches in all competitions this season and currently sit at the top of the Premier League.According to Maresca, the players remain focused on their performances rather than the developments surrounding the club.“The players are just focused on that. They know what we can control is the football side – they are not worried at all about different things," he said.“They know their profession and they know that the noise is there but they don't care too much about the noise."Maresca is expected to face further questions about the case when he meets reporters for his pre-match news conference on Friday.