Enzo Maresca has urged the Manchester City squad to remain focused and positive following the Premier League’s ruling that found the club guilty of most of the 115 charges against it. The head coach addressed his players during their first training session since the verdict was published, encouraging them not to let the controversy affect their performance as the Premier League season resumes.
The players returned to domestic training nine days after the Premier League revealed that Manchester City had used “sham” contracts to conceal secret funding exceeding £830 million. The majority of the squad had been away on international duty when the verdict broke, prompting Maresca to speak directly to the team upon their return.
BBC Sport reported that Maresca’s message was clear: the ongoing crisis must not disrupt the squad’s attitude or concentration as they prepare for their upcoming Premier League fixtures. Erling Haaland, City’s striker, echoed the manager’s tone ahead of Sunday’s trip to Liverpool. “I care a lot about this place. I spent my first four years here, it’s a special place for us,” Haaland said. “I care a lot about City and the fans. I am a fan myself. I feel with them.”
Haaland added that the team must stay united and positive. “The fans will have a good time on Sunday – we have to stick together. We have to stay with each other and stay positive. No matter what happens in life, we always have to smile. Stay positive, look ahead, and try to win football games and enjoy the situation.”
Manchester City has publicly denied the allegations and launched an appeal against the Premier League’s findings. The club has maintained its innocence in private communications with players and staff.
Meanwhile, other Premier League managers have taken a cautious stance on commenting about the City verdict. At pre-match press conferences, several coaches have declined to discuss the matter in detail. Coventry’s Frank Lampard, Leeds head coach Daniel Farke, and Newcastle’s Matthias Jaissle all chose to focus on their teams rather than the controversy surrounding City.
Jaissle said, “I think as a manager of another club I am not able to judge and it is not my job. Especially it is not in my job description. The authorities are taking care of it, a process will be followed, and speaking on behalf of the whole club it is our job to focus on our job and preparing for [the match against Coventry on] Monday.”
Lampard, who played for Manchester City during the 2014-15 season, said, “What can you say when an appeal is going on? I’m not inside the story, I’m outside it completely. I played for Man City a long time ago now for one year, but we’ll wait and see what the result of the appeal is and onwards. I don’t know the timelines at all.” When pressed on what punishment might be appropriate, Lampard added, “It’s not my role to talk about a punishment or how much. I just can’t answer that one.”
As the Premier League season resumes after a three-week break, the focus returns to the pitch. Manchester City’s next fixture is the high-profile match against Liverpool on Sunday, where Maresca and his players will face one of their biggest tests since the ruling. Guardiola, who was recently replaced by Maresca, is expected to attend the match between City and Paris Saint-Germain next week.
According to Yahoo Sports.
