Guardiola Stands Firm With Manchester City After Guilty Verdict as Micah Richards Admits He Is "Devastated"

Pep Guardiola has thrown his support behind Manchester City's ownership and leadership following a landmark ruling that found the club guilty of breaching the Premier League's financial regulations. The former manager, who spent a decade in charge at the Etihad Stadium, said he would "always" stand behind the club despite the severity of the findings.

In a message posted on social media, Guardiola sought to reassure supporters around the world that his connection to City remains unshaken. He said he wanted every fan to know that he was with them "more than ever", adding that he had always been and always would be behind the club, its owner, chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, chief executive Ferran Soriano, the players, staff, current manager Enzo Maresca and the supporters.

"Let me be clear: we will get through this together," Guardiola wrote, before telling fans: "I love you all." The emotional statement marked his first significant public comment since the independent commission delivered its verdict.

The ruling, delivered by an independent commission, found that City had arranged what were described as "sham contracts" with a number of commercial partners. According to the findings, these arrangements formed part of a scheme designed to disguise secret funding worth more than £830m. The Premier League confirmed that the club was found guilty of all charges relating to breaches of financial rules between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons.

In addition, City were found guilty of all but one of the charges concerning a failure to co-operate with the investigation. The scale of the verdict places one of English football's most successful modern clubs under intense scrutiny, with questions likely to persist about the legitimacy of its rise to dominance during the period covered by the charges.

City have consistently rejected any suggestion of wrongdoing, and the club maintains its innocence. They now have until 2 October to lodge an appeal against the commission's decision, setting the stage for what could be a lengthy and closely watched legal battle. The club, owned by the Abu Dhabi United Group, issued a response saying they were "both disappointed and surprised" by the guilty verdict, signalling their intention to challenge the outcome.

Guardiola's own history with City makes his intervention particularly significant. He took charge in July 2016 and remained in the role until last summer, overseeing the most decorated era in the club's history. During his time at the helm, he guided City to six Premier League titles, including a record four consecutive crowns from 2020-21, as well as the Champions League, three FA Cups and five League Cups.

His comment on Tuesday echoed remarks he made in November 2024, before his departure, when he addressed the charges against the club. At that time, Guardiola said he "will be here" even in the event that City were relegated. That earlier pledge has now been recalled by supporters as evidence of his enduring loyalty, even as the club confronts one of the gravest challenges in its modern history.

The club's senior figures have also moved to defend City's position. Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said in a statement on Saturday that the club remained confident of proving its innocence. On Tuesday, chief executive Ferran Soriano went further in a video message to staff and players, in which he claimed that "irrefutable evidence" had been "ignored" by the commission. The video was reported to have been leaked.

The response from former players has been equally charged, though far more anguished. Micah Richards, the former City defender, said he felt "absolutely devastated" after reading the Premier League's findings, describing the verdict as "damning". Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, Richards said the reports were troubling, singling out the phrase "sham contracts" as particularly painful.

Richards, who joined City at the age of 14 and went on to represent the club at senior level, said he would "die for that club" and had achieved his dream there. He explained that the emotional weight of the verdict extended beyond his own experience as an ex-player, pointing to the distress it has caused among supporters who have followed the club for decades.

He recalled living in lodgings with a local family who were long-term City fans, revealing that the man he stayed with had called him in tears, seeking information that Richards simply did not have. "That's someone who's supported the club for 60-odd years and the uncertainty around it is just heartbreaking," he said. Richards added that he felt saddened, angry and somewhat confused, acknowledging that City have their own side of the story to present.

The verdict raises broader questions about the Premier League's enforcement of its financial rules and the precedent this case may set. With more than £830m in allegedly disguised funding at the centre of the findings, the ruling could reshape how clubs structure commercial arrangements and how rigorously they are policed in future. It also deepens the uncertainty surrounding City at a time when they are seeking to move forward under new managerial leadership.

For now, the club's immediate focus will be on the appeal process, which must be initiated by 2 October. Until that process concludes, the verdict stands as one of the most serious findings ever issued against a top-flight English club, and the coming weeks are likely to bring further statements, legal arguments and scrutiny from across the football world.

What is clear is that Guardiola, despite no longer being in the dugout, remains one of the most prominent voices willing to defend City publicly. His message, alongside those of the chairman and chief executive, reflects an institution determined to fight its case. Yet the raw reaction of figures such as Richards shows the human cost of the verdict for those whose lives and identities have long been tied to the club.