Pep Guardiola plans surprise Manchester City return after Premier League verdict

Pep Guardiola is planning a surprise return to Manchester City after the club were found guilty of all charges relating to breaches of the Premier League’s financial regulations.

An independent commission has found that City arranged ‘sham contracts’ and had been ‘relying on sham agreements to artificially inflate the club’s revenues and reduce its costs’.

City have been accused of artificially inflating the club’s commercial revenue by £830 million between 2009 and 2018.

Earlier this week, Guardiola broke his silence by backing City’s owners and told supporters ‘we will get through this together’.

According to The Mirror, Guardiola is now planning a show of solidarity by attending City’s next home fixture, which is a Champions League game against Paris Saint-Germain on October 14.

The report adds that Guardiola has told senior figures at City that he would like to ‘be with his people’.

Guardiola’s return this month would be his first time back at City since his departure in May.

In his message on social media this week, Guardiola posted a picture alongside City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak and wrote: ‘I want every single Manchester City fan across the world to know I am here; more than ever.

‘I am, always have been, always will, be behind my club, my owner, my chairman, Ferran [Soriano, CEO], the players, staff, Enzo [Maresca] and you, our unique supporters. Let me be clear – we will get through this together. I love you all.’

On Friday, City confirmed that they are launching an appeal against the guilty verdict.

‘The club’s firm position is that, on multiple grounds, the opinion contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact and is unsafe,’ City said in a statement.

‘The club is 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.

‘We will continue to respect due process and are necessarily restricted in what we can say further until all proceedings are complete.’

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