Pep Guardiola is expected to return to the Etihad Stadium next week to watch Manchester City take on Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League — his first appearance at the ground since leaving the club last summer.
The visit comes at an extraordinarily difficult moment for City, who were found guilty on all charges related to serious breaches of Premier League financial rules by an independent commission. The club have lodged an appeal against the verdict and firmly deny any wrongdoing.
Guardiola, who spent a decorated decade at the helm — delivering six Premier League titles and a Champions League — publicly declared his backing for City's board and supporters in the wake of the ruling. The former manager is set to be in the stands on October 14 when Enzo Maresca's side host Paris Saint-Germain, shortly after City travel to Liverpool in the Premier League.
Lineker urges City to accept punishment
Gary Lineker, speaking at a Leaders Week conference held at Stamford Bridge, urged Manchester City to take responsibility for the findings. The independent commission concluded that more than £830 million in owner funding was used to artificially inflate the club's revenues and facilitate compliance with Premier League and UEFA regulations through a series of arrangements it described as "sham." The alleged breaches span the period between 2009-10 and 2017-18.
"Obviously, it looks really bad for Manchester City, and bad for the game, too," said Lineker, former England captain. "I'd love to see Man City now just own it and say, 'okay, we got it wrong but for the good of the game, we'll accept it and we'll accept whatever punishment comes our way.'"
Asked whether City should be stripped of the three Premier League titles won during the period in question, Lineker said: "I wouldn't be surprised if it goes down that route. But who suffers from that? The players and the fans."
Walker reflects on cherished memories
Kyle Walker, who departed Manchester City in 2025 after eight years at the club — during which he won the Champions League and 12 major domestic honours — said former players will always treasure what they achieved together, regardless of the outcome of any appeal.
Speaking on talkSPORT, Burnley right-back Walker said: "I know it's in an appeal stage so, for me to start commenting on the legal action and everything like that, probably it's not going to do myself justice or anyone involved in it. But, at a personal level, I can say the lads — we spent many and many a great year celebrating many trophies, and that's something, whatever happens, they can't take away from us because we've experienced them nights."
The 36-year-old acknowledged the sensitivity of the subject for those who wore the blue shirt. "It's very difficult because we've worked very hard for them, and not just us — I look at the fans that have travelled up and down the country, travelled abroad to Istanbul when we won the treble, and they deserve that night as well," Walker added.
City's firm denial
In a statement released last Friday, Manchester City maintained their innocence in unequivocal terms. "The club is innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League," the statement read, "and a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of all of its positions relating to this case." City also argued that the commission's opinion contains "clear material errors, of law, principle and fact," rendering it unsafe.
