Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al-Mubarak has assured Pep Guardiola that the club “will be cleared” of the 115 Premier League financial fair play (FFP) charges against them.
In February 2023, the Citizens were charged with over 100 breaches of the league’s financial fair play regulations, dating back to 2009. This season, scrutiny on Man City has intensified as Everton and more recently Nottingham Forest faced points deductions for breaching FFP rules.
Despite the controversy, Guardiola’s side won the Premier League title on Sunday and are poised to secure a Double if they can defeat Manchester United in the FA Cup final this weekend. This success follows their Treble-winning campaign last term, although critics argue that the Premier League charges cast a shadow over their achievements, given the club’s financial backing from owner Sheikh Mansour.
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Rumors suggest Guardiola might leave the club at the end of the 2024-2025 season. However, chairman Al-Mubarak, director of football Txiki Begiristain, and managing director Ferran Soriano have reassured Guardiola about the charges. Al-Mubarak maintains a close relationship with Guardiola, dining with him and his staff before key matches and regularly discussing games with him.
Al-Mubarak, Soriano, and Begiristain have conveyed confidence to Guardiola that Manchester City will be cleared of the charges when the case is heard, reportedly in October.
This reassurance comes as bookmakers have slashed the odds of Man City being relegated next season to 25/1, in stark contrast to Liverpool and Arsenal’s odds at around 2000/1. The speculation stems from concerns that City could face relegation if found guilty of breaching financial rules, allegations the club vehemently denies.
Manchester United legend Gary Neville has commented on the situation, suggesting that the charges will continue to overshadow Guardiola’s success until they are resolved. He acknowledged Guardiola’s remarkable achievements but pointed out that these could be tainted if the foundations were based on rule-breaking.
“What Pep [Guardiola] has done, in not even a short period of time, you can’t deny that if someone put Pep top [manager in Premier League history], I wouldn’t say you’re out of order,” Neville said. “But until those 115 charges are cleared, there will always be a ‘but’ associated with his success.”
Neville added, “You’re measuring him being the best based on his success, but his success would have been built on foundations that were rule-breaking if they are found guilty. That’s the foundation.”