Having won the Premier League, three days early and for the third consecutive time, Pep Guardiola hopes that English sports justice will rule as soon as possible - already "today or tomorrow" - on the more than 100 charges still pending against Manchester City, accused of having repeatedly violated the financial rules of the Premier League. The judicial proceedings date back to last February when the English League, at the end of a four-year investigation, had accused the English champions of multiple accounting infringements, which would have been committed between the 2009/10 and 2017/18 seasons: nine years during which the Citizens would have systematically exceeded the economic parameters.
Since then there have been no other pronouncements, while Guardiola, who has always said he is convinced of the innocence of his club, calls for a verdict to clarify the possible responsibilities of City. "We would really like the verdict to come tomorrow, or even better now, immediately," Guardiola said on the eve of the Premier League's recovery against Brighton. We hope that the judges are not too busy in other cases, and that they listen to the two sides and then decide for the best. Because in the end I know that what we won we won on the field, we have no doubt." Guardiola, who has not made it clear whether he will stay at City in the event of a treble, said he was ready to accept any legal response. "We will accept it, if it happens. This was also the case with the decision of UEFA (which originally banned City for two seasons, a verdict then overturned by the Lausanne Sports Court, ed), now the Premier League.
Courage: 24 hours, if possible, in the presence of lawyers. We do not wait two years. Why wait so long, let us be quick for the good of all." Guardiola, who will face Inter in the Champions League final in Istanbul, however, seems to rule out his escape from Manchester if convicted. "I will stay even if there are still 110 charges against us. No doubt, I'll be there. If we have done something wrong, everyone will know. Whereas if the club comes out of the process as I believe it is, people will stop talking."