Guardiola returns to Etihad for Man City vs PSG Champions League clash amid financial rules controversy

Pep Guardiola stepped down as the manager of Man City at the end of the 2025/26 season. | Photo Credit: AP

Former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was in attendance at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday for the club’s UEFA Champions League match against Paris Saint-Germain.

The fixture brought together two sides that has won its opening European matches, with City defeating Porto and PSG beating Slovan Bratislava 6-1.

Guardiola’s presence on Wednesday comes amid uncertainty surrounding City’s future after an independent commission found the club guilty of serious breaches of Premier League financial regulations between 2009 and 2018.

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Following the ruling in late September, Guardiola publicly voiced his support for City and its supporters.

“I want every single Manchester City fan across the world to know I am here; more than ever,” he wrote on social media in late September.

Guardiola joined Manchester City in 2016 and left in the summer after a decade in charge, during which he won 20 trophies, including six Premier League titles and the Champions League.