Maresca refuses to confirm he will stay at Manchester City if club lose appeal

Enzo Maresca refused to confirm he will remain as Manchester City manager should the club lose their appeal against being found guilty of the vast majority of 115 charges related to breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules.

Maresca was speaking publicly for the first time since the verdict that has thrown English football into turmoil. City continue to deny any wrongdoing and their appeal is expected to be heard before Christmas, with a verdict due in the new year.

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In May 2022, Pep Guardiola said he would leave the club if he discovered the club’s hierarchy had not told him the truth about their financial dealings. “I said to them: ‘If you lie to me, the day after I am not here. I will be out and I will not be your friend any more.’” Maresca was asked if he shared the same position as his predecessor.

“I would like to speak about this situation when we’re going to win the appeal,” the 46-year-old said. “It’s no sense to speak about anything because I don’t have many pieces of information. I trust the club because I trust the people and this is also the reason why I joined the club. There is not another club in the world where I would like to be. I’m very happy to be [here], I’m very proud.”

The manager was asked if his trust may change should the appeal be lost. “But it’s the same. I don’t know. We are predicting the future. Again, I’m worried about tomorrow, in two days, in three days,” he said. “I don’t know what’s happening in the future. The only thing I can say is that I think it’s fair, from my point of view, from all of us, to respect the process. The process, verdict. There is an appeal ongoing. We see what’s happening.”

One sanction that might be levied against City is expulsion from the Premier League. Guardiola joked that he would manage City in League One or even the National League. Maresca refused to be drawn on that scenario. “I won the Championship with Leicester [in 2023-24]. So in case we [are in] League One, we’re going to see. We are thinking about something that we don’t know,” he said.

Maresca also denied that the many honours City have won under the current ownership are now tainted. “Absolutely not,” he said. “The last time I was here was in the treble season [2022-23, as assistant manager] and I know the effort from the players, the club, the manager. I know the effort that the club put to achieve that kind of target so I don’t have any doubt about that.”

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City lead the Premier League having taken maximum points from their opening five games and travel to Liverpool on Sunday. Maresca has no concern that the uncertainty regarding the club’s future will affect them at Anfield. “We understand the seriousness of the situation. I’m not saying that we don’t understand that,” he said. “The players understand. But it’s our duty, our job, to try to control the noise. Also, the manager and the players are focused on winning games, not on something different.

“It is nice – at this moment, we are top of the league. So the players have all the reasons to be happy and excited. It will be a tough game for sure. But the most important thing is that we continue to do the right things. We are on the same page with the players, the owner, the CEO, the sport director and the fans.”

Maresca was asked if referring to the guilty verdict as “noise” was dismissive of the anger felt towards City from sections of the wider football community. “I understand the reason why most of you are here,” he said. “But the only thing I can say is that is something that I already said, that there is a process ongoing.”

Maresca said Erling Haaland was fit after the striker asked to come off last weekend with Norway.