Building of the Pep supremacy is an era defined by sham-ball

MARTIN RICKETT/ PA

Always seeing eye to eye Pep Guardiola (left) and 

Khaldoon al-Mubarak were very close during the former’s time at City

Questions were dodged in the past but what Guardiola knew at City relates to the true nature of the club and more basic things like spectacle and human nature

There were little things throughout, 

like digging out an extra £25m for Kevin De Bruyne

1 Oct 2026 - The Guardian

Barney Ronay

'Do you know the question that you are asking me? Today, do you honestly think it is my job to make this kind of question happen …” Cut to the long, painful pause. Chuck in a deep, shaming stare, eyes that have suddenly become death rays of betrayal and disgust and Pep Guardiola himself transformed from a man cheerfully toasting his own FA Cup final victory to a grizzled chief detective addressing a room full of convicted perverts.

Guardiola had the wind entirely at his back at this point, sitting in the Wembley press room an hour after Manchester City’s 6-0 defeat of Watford in May 2019. Success drowns out every other noise in football. To be good is also to be good, noble, virtuous. History is written by the domestic treble winners. Right up until the moment it isn’t.

The question in question was asked by Rob Harris of the Associated Press. It was basically this: information is now in the public domain that suggests Roberto Mancini received a second salary from Abu Dhabi when he was City manager. Mancini was one of Guardiola’s immediate predecessors. So had he, Pep, ever received two salaries?

Even as Harris was asking this he was interrupted by City’s press officer, saying: “We’re not going here, we’re really just not going there.” A simple “no” would have done the job. Instead the exchange ended with another beautifully executed mad-dog stare from Guardiola; not angry, just sad and disappointed. But also, let’s be honest, really angry as well.

Fast forward to this week and a clip has been doing the rounds of the same Rob Harris, now of Sky News, and still the same perky, questing figure. Harris is approaching Ferran Soriano this time, Pep’s key man through that era, and asking the same entirely legitimate things, with a very different outcome. “The Premier League maintains you cheated for nearly a decade … is all this success, as the Premier League says, based on sham contracts?”

There is no glare in return now, no outrage, no flushed moral high ground. “Thank you, thank you,” Soriano mutters, with the look of a man caught shoplifting a Twix at the local primary school fete, followed by a mute, fumbling exit.

Sunlight. Scrutiny. Awkward questions from awkward people. It turns out these are still the best disinfectant. Just as it turns out “the question” was the only one worth asking in that room in 2019. Not that anyone agreed at the time. Predictably enough the comments on social media were about scum, bias, the press as a national embarrassment. Even other journalists held a perfumed kerchief to their noses, suggesting this was all a non-issue because, er, the club had just won a treble.

It turns out the exact opposite was true. It was entirely the right moment to ask this question. That Cup final win came at the end of the main period of shammery. It was in many ways its unholy coronation. There was an industrial-scale embarrassment in that room. But it wasn’t the person asking the questions.

There is an obvious problem with the City story at this stage. It’s just too big. There is too much to say, an entire Dickensian multiverse interlayered with oddities and moments of jawdrop. This is not, repeat not, a media story. And yet it kind of is a media story. After all, it was media scrutiny and the efforts of the hacker Rui Pinto that first winkled it out. As such, Harris deserves his moment of grace, living proof that it’s culturally vital to keep on asking questions, the same Rob Harris I have seen grilling Vladimir Putin about corruption on the hoof in Zurich, and also walking into a pillar at the World Cup in São Paulo while running off with his laptop to ask someone else something else, a man so deeply locked into the news cycle even reinforced stadium infrastructure doesn’t register.

It is also worth mentioning at moments like this Nick Harris, AKA Sporting Intelligence, who has kept going at this story relentlessly despite an unusual degree of abuse, harassment and threats, and who has every right to feel vindicated, part of a world where we can still hold power to account, where a cat can look at a king. But for now the real object of interest in this exchange is, of course, the person on the other end of it. Welcome to the stage once again Pep Guardiola, the public face of the club for the past decade.

MICHAEL REGAN/GETTY IMAGES▼ 

Manchester City won six Premier League titles under Pep Guardiola

What did Pep know? This is more than just football legacy chat. It relates to pretty much everything here, the true nature of the club, of elite football itself, and more basic things like truth, spectacle and human nature. Is believing the assurances of others any kind of defence, given Guardiola was in the perfect position to ask questions of his own? Is any kind of deniability plausible here?

The other significant statement from Guardiola in that time came after City’s twoyear ban from the Champions League for a serious breach of Uefa’s financial fair play rules was overturned by the court of arbitration for sport. “We didn’t break the rules. We played the same rules as all the clubs in the Premier League,” was Guardiola’s conclusion, which seemed pretty silly at the time, given time-barring of offences was key to that decision. How does it look now?

To this day Guardiola’s stance remains slavish adherence to the promises of his paymasters, as evidenced by his first statement on the matter on Wednesday. Guardiola says he will be getting through the current unpleasantness with the club and its fans, sticking together as always. But were you together, really? Because City’s fans have some urgent questions of their own now. The majority believed what they were told, and put their faith in the “irrefutable body of evidence” schtick. That ring binder of truth really is going to have to do a lot of instant high-speed kung fu when it finally comes screeching into the appeal room on its trail bike. Not to mention explaining where it’s been over the past three years of information exchange.

Guardiola will face his own questions too, and on a level that will hurt him. The coach who only stays for three or four years stretched this out to a full decade at a club where 80% of that time was spent under a cloud of sham contracts and casual hubris. Through all this he had a deeply personal relationship with his chair, Khaldoon al-Mubarak. The pair of them are seen whispering tenderly in the recent Prime documentary, in which Guardiola is presented as the most genuine and heartfelt of truth-seekers, a lone castaway on Integrity Island, Jedi-like in a tailored hoodie, eyes brimming with tears as he talks feelings and eternal truths, like a dad in the pub on Christmas Eve.

In his farewell hagiographies, Guardiola was routinely described as the greatest modern manager. He invented the Messi role for Messi. He reimagined the basic texture of the sport in this country. If this guy isn’t good, nobody’s good. On the other hand, the only logical conclusion on the facts as they stand is that all his City trophies were won with the benefit of concerted macro-cheating.

During the period embraced by the charges, City’s net spend on transfers was, according to Transfermarkt, almost £400m more than Manchester United in second place, and five times as much as Liverpool and Arsenal. From 2016 to 2018, the key period in building the Pep supremacy, they massively outspent every other team. After which they won the league on the final day or by a single point three times. There were little things throughout, like digging out an extra £25m for Kevin De Bruyne, stretching those fine details in your direction. How is it possible not to see that success as unrelated to stolen margins? This is an era that will now be defined by sham-ball, trophies hoisted with a hand behind your back and a thumb on the scale.

Pep can only double down now and ride this to the end. His life’s work, his vast and all-consuming reputation is at stake. “We will get through this together,” he says in Wednesday’s statement. Well, you have no choice now, Pep. Wherever that destination might be.

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MARTIN RICKETT/PRESS ASSOCIATION

Pep Guardiola, who stepped down as City’s manager in May, 

posted a message of support to the club’s fans on Instagram yesterday

I am here more than ever

Guardiola’s message to fans

‘We will get through this’: Guardiola backs club and fans

Former manager rallies behind City’s owners in message to supporters

Will Unwin, Tom Garry

1 Oct 2026 - The Guardian

Pep Guardiola has thrown his support behind Manchester City after the club were found guilty of all charges of breaching Premier League financial rules over a nine-year period, telling fans: “We will get through this together.”

Guardiola left City in the summer after a trophy-laden decade in charge, with his first two seasons falling within the period investigated by the independent commission. The Spaniard remains a close ally of the chief executive, Ferran Soriano, who brought him to England, the pair having previously worked together at Barcelona. City maintain their innocence and are set to appeal against the decision before tomorrow’s deadline.

“I want every single Manchester City fan across the world to know I am here; more than ever,” Guardiola posted on social media. “I am, always have been, always will, be behind my club, my owner, my chairman, Ferran, the players, staff, Enzo [Maresca] and you, our unique supporters. Let me be clear: we will get through this together. I love you all.”

Twenty trophies were won in the 10 years Guardiola managed City and he was frequently asked about the charges that hung over the club for much of his tenure. The 55-yearold has consistently reiterated his faith in what he was told by the

club’s Abu Dhabi ownership while the investigation was ongoing, with charges first brought against the club in February 2023. “I trust them,” Guardiola said in May. “I spoke with them and trust how they behave.”

Upon Guardiola’s departure, it was confirmed that he would continue as a global ambassador for City Football Group, which involves him giving “technical advice to the clubs in the group”.

Meanwhile the former City chair David Bernstein has described the situation at the club as “beyond awful” and called for the board to stand down. “I can’t think of a penalty strong enough for this, really. I mean, this is absolutely terrible,” said Bernstein, who was chair between 1998 and 2003.

“I want to raise another question, and that is the position of the board of directors. Because the directors of the club, including the chief executive, who’s been there for years and went through this period, are responsible for the running of the club in every respect. If this was a public company, the directors would have to stand down or be suspended pending the outcome of all this, appeal or no appeal. I don’t think the present management can credibly continue.”

Andrée Jeglertz, the Manchester City Women’s head coach, insisted it had been a case of “business as usual” for his team as they prepare to host Real Madrid in the Women’s Champions League tonight. Asked if he echoed Guardiola’s position and if he would back the club in spite of the Premier League’s guilty verdict, Jeglertz said: “Definitely. I’m working [at] this club now, and that’s definitely what I’m hired for, for sure.”

The Swede declined to comment further when asked if he had been given any assurances that the women’s team would not be affected by the matter.

Jeglertz insisted his side, who won the Women’s Super League title last season, were focused only on football, saying: “We haven’t changed anything, we just keep on doing everything we normally do.”

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Top-flight clubs press for severe punishment

Rivals press for lengthy City absence from Premier League

1 Oct 2026 - The Guardian

Matt Hughes

The Premier League will face pressure from Manchester City’s rivals to push for a sanction that will result in a prolonged absence from the top flight after the club were found guilty of more than 100 charges of financial rule-breaking.

Executives at a number of Premier League clubs have told the Guardian that a points deduction that would relegate City to the Championship for a single season would be insufficient given the scale of what an independent commission described as the club’s “disguised funding scheme” and “sham commercial deals”, which enabled them to artificially inflate their income by £900m between 2009 and 2018.

While the clubs have no involvement in the sanctioning process, the extent of their illfeeling towards City illustrates the difficulties facing the Premier League as it seeks to conclude a case it began investigating almost eight years ago.

The same independent commission that found City guilty of the vast majority of 115 rule breaches will determine their fate at a sanctions hearing pending the outcome of the club’s appeal, which will be heard by a newly convened independent panel. Under new Premier League rules introduced this season, the appeal hearing must be concluded within 12 weeks of the deadline tomorrow for it to be submitted, with the panel given a further 30 days to deliver its judgment, meaning a decision should be reached by the end of January next year.

While not confirmed, the sanctions hearing could take place concurrently, although it will not be published pending the outcome of the appeal. City could also subsequently appeal against the sanctions imposed by the commission.

It is also possible that the club could delay the process further by arguing that the Premier League’s new expedited timescales should not apply given they were only introduced this season, whereas the charges against them are historic.

The club has already succeeded in delaying the publication of the commission’s “core decision”, which was finally released on Tuesday following an appeal procedure. As prosecutor, the Premier League is permitted to petition for its preferred punishment at the sanctions hearing, with City also pleading their case, before a decision is taken by the commission.

SIMON STACPOOLE/OFFSIDE

City’s eight Premier League wins have all come since Abu Dhabi took over

The Premier League’s position on sanctioning will be taken independently of the clubs by the board of directors comprising the chair, Alison Brittain, the chief executive, Richard Masters, and three independent non-executive directors: Mai Fyfield, Dharmash Mistry and Matthew Ryder KC.

The commission has a wide range of sanctions at its disposal including points deductions, transfer embargos and expulsion from the Premier League. Given the scale of City’s offences, according to the independent panel, there are no comparable precedents. City say they are “innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League and a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of all of its positions, relating to this case”.

In the first successful profitability and sustainability rules prosecution, of Everton three years ago for a £19.5m overspend, the Premier League pushed for the club to be docked 12 points in the sanctioning hearing, with the independent commission ultimately docking them 10 points, which was reduced to six on appeal.

Many of the clubs are calling for a far more severe punishment for City given the commission’s conclusion that without the hugely inflated income they would have breached Premier League and Uefa spending limits in multiple seasons, and will also lobby to ensure that the whole process is concluded before the end of the season.

“Relegation to the Championship for one season would be insufficient,” a club source told the Guardian. “The commission has to arrive at a punishment that is proportionate for years of sustained and deliberate cheating, as well as providing a strong deterrent to it happening again.”

The Premier League is in a difficult position, as it is also eager to prevent further mass litigation against City by rivals seeking financial recompense. Burnley were awarded £35m at an arbitration hearing earlier this year after suing Everton on the back of their PSR breach, which they claimed led to their relegation at the end of the 2021-22 season, a decision that has set a precedent for clubs claiming compensation following regulatory offences.

Manchester United, Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool all reserved their rights to sue City in the event of a guilty verdict two years ago, and have already held informal conversations about whether to pursue a claim now the judgment has been published. While those clubs will all arrive at individual decisions, the extent of City’s punishment could prove critical to their thinking.

Many of the top-flight clubs remain unhappy with the Premier League’s decision to reach an agreed sanction this year with Chelsea of a £10m fine after they self-reported the previous owners making unlawful payments to players and agents during the Roman Abramovich era.

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City could be forced to pay Premier League up to £50m in legal costs

Independent commission will rule on compensation figure in eight-year case

1 Oct 2026 - The Guardian

Sam Cunningham

Manchester City are expected to owe the Premier League tens of millions of pounds in compensation for legal costs after being found guilty of virtually all charges brought against them. The league announced on Tuesday that an independent commission had determined the club had artificially inflated their income by £900m over a nine-year period. The panel concluded City had arranged “sham” contracts to boost revenues to comply with spending rules.

During the process both sides racked up what many legal experts predict will be more than £100m in costs between them. City employed Lord Pannick KC, one of the country’s leading lawyers, who has advised the former prime minister Boris Johnson, while the Premier League’s team was spearheaded by Adam Smith KC, considered one of the finest sports lawyers of his generation, who has represented the league, the Football Association and Uefa in a series of cases. The league’s costs are expected to be upwards of £70m and lawyers have told the Guardian a winning party can expect to recoup around 70% of its legal costs from the losers. That means the league could be awarded almost £50m in compensation for a case that has lasted eight years and is still not concluded.

In a 40-page document, the independent panel explained why it found City guilty of all charges related to serious breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules and “the majority of charges in relation to its failure to cooperate with the league’s investigation”.

The commission will rule on the compensation figure once the process has been completed. City maintain their innocence, claiming in a statement that “a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists”, and intend to appeal, describing the ruling as an “opinion” that contains “clear material errors, of law, principle and fact, and is unsafe”. The club’s chief executive, Ferran Soriano, sent a three-minute video to club employees describing it as a “Premier League conspiracy theory”.

The commission will determine if the Premier League’s legal spending was proportionate to the case. After Everton were found guilty in 2023 of profitability and sustainability rule breaches, the league pushed for £4.9m in costs but was awarded £1.7m after the club’s lawyers successfully argued the legal costs were too high. Everton’s lawyers had claimed the cost per document disclosed was 19 times higher for the Premier League than the club, while the cost per witness statement was five times more.

The Premier League declined to comment. City did not respond to a request for comment.