LONDON: Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has slammed Aleksander Ceferin after the UEFA president claimed European football’s governing body was right to punish the Premier League champions for financial breaches.
UEFA banned City from European competition for two years in February 2020 for breaching its Financial Fair Play rules, but the ban was later overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
CAS found that some of the charges against City were “not established” and others were time-barred.
Ceferin remains adamant his organization was correct, telling the Daily Telegraph on Thursday: “We know we were right. We wouldn’t decide if we didn’t think we were right.”
The Slovenian’s remarks came as City await a Premier League hearing after being charged with 115 breaches of their domestic competition’s profit and sustainability rules.
A furious Guardiola said that by speaking out now, Ceferin had not respected City’s ongoing process with the Premier League.
“As the lawyer that he is, as president of UEFA, he should wait — and after do whatever he wants,” he told reporters on Thursday.
“He has to respect it and he has to wait. He has a lot of jobs to do at UEFA. A lawyer should respect the procedure. He knows we have the right to defend ourselves.”
City will again be without striker Erling Haaland for their FA Cup fourth tie at Tottenham on Friday.
But the Norway striker is nearing a return after almost two months out with a foot injury.
“He is on the verge of coming back. For Friday he is not ready but he is close,” Guardiola said.
“The training camp was good; he trained some sessions. The last few days he’s trained but it is not perfect and we will wait a little bit more.”
John Stones is back in contention after an ankle injury but fellow defender Manuel Akanji remains on the sidelines. Goalkeeper Ederson is also fit after limping off in City’s last game at Newcastle.
City have lost on all five of their previous visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium without even scoring a goal.
Calling on the FA Cup holders to break their duck, Guardiola said: “That is the reality, (and shows) how tough it is for us.
“Of course this is a ‘final’, a knockout game and to go through we have to score goals. Always it is a new opportunity to break it.
“The feeling is most of the times we played really good but the reality is there, no goals, five defeats — so they were much better than us.”
Guardiola slams Ceferin over financial probe claims
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Guardiola slams Ceferin over financial probe claims
- Ceferin remains adamant his organization was correct, telling the Daily Telegraph on Thursday: “We know we were right. We wouldn’t decide if we didn’t think we were right”
- A furious Guardiola said that by speaking out now, Ceferin had not respected City’s ongoing process with the Premier League
Campaigners demand action after 4 Premier League players racially abused on ‘appalling weekend’
- Anti-discrimination campaigners have bemoaned an “appalling weekend” in the Premier League after four players were targeted with racial abuse on their social media accounts following games
- It said “this has been an appalling weekend after four players called out the racist abuse they’ve received on social media. But the sad fact is, we know it happens regularly”
LONDON: Anti-discrimination campaigners bemoaned an “appalling weekend” in the Premier League after four players were targeted with racial abuse on their social media accounts following games.
Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana and Burnley midfielder Hannibal Mejbri shared images of racist messages they were sent privately over Instagram following their teams’ match at Stamford Bridge on Saturday that finished 1-1.
Wolverhampton striker Tolu Arokodare showed racially aggravated messages he received on Instagram after a 1-0 loss at Crystal Palace on Sunday, during which he had a penalty saved.
Sunderland said its winger, Romaine Mundle, was also subjected to “vile online racist abuse” after his substitute appearance in a 3-1 home loss to Fulham.
Kick It Out, a British-based anti-discrimination charity, repeated its calls for platforms to do more to address the problem.
“This has been an appalling weekend after four players called out the racist abuse they’ve received on social media. But the sad fact is, we know it happens regularly,” the organization said.
“The message from them is loud and clear: action must follow. Players cannot be expected to tolerate this behavior, and nor should anyone else.”
The Premier League also condemned the abuse of the players.
“There are serious consequences for anybody found guilty of discrimination and we will offer our full support with their investigations,” the competition said. “Football is for everyone — there is no room for racism.”
The 22-year-old Mundle has since deleted his Instagram account, the Sunderland Echo newspaper reported.
The incidents came days after UEFA began an investigation into claims by Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior that he was racially abused on the field by Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni during a Champions League game in Lisbon.
