Manchester City fans booed the Premier League anthem and waved hundreds of inflatable bananas at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday in protest against the club’s recent guilty verdict over breaches of financial rules. The demonstration came before the home game against Ipswich, which City won 3-1 to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League to six points.
Tens of thousands of supporters jeered the league anthem and chanted "City, City, City" as the match approached. The inflatable bananas, a nod to a fan craze from the late 1980s, were distributed widely in the home sections, turning large parts of the stadium yellow. The gesture followed a similar display in the away section at Liverpool the previous week, but on a larger scale at the Etihad.
The protests relate to City’s breach of Premier League financial regulations between 2009-10 and 2017-18, including accusations of creating "sham contracts" to inflate sponsorship deals by £830 million. The club is currently appealing the charges.
Despite the off-field tension, City’s players and fans maintained an atmosphere of defiance. Phil Foden, returning from suspension, scored his first goal of the season in the 19th minute and later carried an inflatable banana into his post-match Match of the Day interview. "You can tell they are behind us and they're pushing us," Foden said. "It's nice to play at home and you can hear how loud they are. They're giving us that extra boost that we need."
Manager Enzo Maresca, who has won his first seven Premier League games in charge—a first in the competition’s history—acknowledged the charged atmosphere. "The environment was very good," he said after the match, which was watched by a record crowd of 60,817 at the Etihad. "The fans, the club and the players are all together on this journey."
Maresca took over from Pep Guardiola, who won 20 trophies in ten seasons, and has guided City to their best league start since 1897. The team has won seven consecutive games despite setbacks, including falling behind early against Bournemouth and playing over an hour with ten men at Manchester United.
"I didn’t expect to win seven out of seven," Maresca admitted. "We are working well and working good. I'm very happy especially with the situation in general. Today we controlled the game for 95 minutes. We created chances, we scored. We finished with a little bit of suffering together but overall, it is good."
He praised Foden’s return, saying, "I said since day one that I love Phil. I know him from years ago and I know how good he is. It's a matter of helping him to again be one of the best players in the Premier League."
City’s players have not been distracted by the off-field issues, according to Maresca. "They are not worried about people who judge from outside because they know people are trying to judge them. Inside, I promise the players are happy. They're getting credit and I give credit to them."
Erling Haaland scored twice in the match, helping to secure the victory and maintain City’s momentum despite the controversy surrounding the club.
The Premier League has confirmed City’s breach of rules, but the club’s appeal remains ongoing. There is no indication yet whether City will succeed in overturning the charges. Meanwhile, the club and its supporters continue to express their frustration and solidarity amid the unfolding saga.
According to Yahoo Sports.
