Former Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart has expressed full confidence in club chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, saying he has no reason to doubt the chairman's insistence that City are innocent of the financial rule breaches they have been found guilty of.

An independent panel found Manchester City guilty of the majority of 115 charges brought against them by the Premier League, relating to alleged breaches of financial regulations. The club have indicated they intend to appeal the ruling.

Khaldoon Al Mubarak responded with a defiant statement, reaffirming his commitment to "proving the club's innocence" and asserting that "the process still has a long way to run."

Hart's trust in Khaldoon

Hart, who made 348 appearances for City across all competitions between 2006 and 2016, spoke on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club, describing Khaldoon Al Mubarak as someone who has "led the club brilliantly" and as a figure worthy of trust.

"I've heard everyone else go down every single rabbit hole, every single wormhole, every single discussion," Hart said. "My honest opinion is I've got no reason not to trust Khaldoon. What he said is enough for me."

Hart, now 39, added that he particularly valued the tone and sincerity of the chairman's public letter. "I loved how he spoke. I loved the letter because that was from someone who cared about the club," he said.

Hart stands by his achievements

During his decade at City, Hart won two Premier League titles (2011-12 and 2013-14), two League Cups (2013-14 and 2015-16), and the FA Cup (2010-11). He said that with nothing "concrete" established, the right approach was to allow the process to play out, and he regards none of his medals as tarnished.

"If Man City are found guilty, which I don't think they are because of what Khaldoon said, then there's conversations to be had," Hart said. "But right now I'm very confident and very calm. I'm very proud of what I've achieved and what I did with Manchester City and what we achieved as a team. And that doesn't change until you tell me."

The charges against City

Manchester City stand accused of a broad range of violations, with allegations centering on inflating sponsorship revenue from companies connected to the club and making payments outside official accounting records to sidestep financial regulations.

Hart said he had not even thought about discussing the situation with former teammates, insisting he could not engage with "the ifs, buts and maybes." He described his own time at the club in straightforward terms.

"I did what I did. I lined up 11 v 11 and had it out on the pitch. I won some games, lost some games, drew some games, and I shook hands and I walked off," Hart said. "I know what I did, I know what we did, and I know how it happened. It didn't feel like we were scheming or plotting."