MANCHESTER: Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said he is pleased that the club’s long-awaited hearing into 115 charges brought by the Premier League is set to start on Monday.
City face 80 breaches of financial rules between 2009 and 2018, plus a further 35 of failing to cooperate with a Premier League investigation.
The English champions stand accused of failing to provide accurate financial information between 2009 and 2018, including revenue from sponsors and salary details of managers and players.
City have vehemently denied any wrongdoing and Guardiola has backed his superiors when pressed about the charges in the past.
“Start soon, and hopefully finish soon,” Guardiola said of the hearing at his pre-match press conference on Friday ahead of Brentford’s trip to the Etihad. “I am looking forward to the decision.
“I’m happy it’s starting on Monday. I know there will be more rumors, new specialists about the sentences.
“We’re going to see. I know what people are looking forward to, what they expect. I know what I read for many, many years. Everybody is innocent until guilt is proven. So we’ll see.”
If found guilty on some or all of the charges, City face a severe points deduction and possibly even expulsion from the Premier League.
The hearing is set to last at least two months, with a decision not expected until 2025.
The Premier League brought the charges in February 2023 but there has been a lengthy wait for the case to proceed before an independent commission.
In the meantime, City have lifted two more Premier League titles and the club’s first ever Champions League last year.
Since a 2008 takeover from Sheikh Mansour, a member of the United Arab Emirates royal family, City have been transformed into the dominant force in English football.
They have won eight of the last 13 Premier League titles, including a record four consecutive league crowns in the past four seasons.
Guardiola ‘happy’ Man City hearing finally set to start
https://arab.news/ww3q7
Guardiola ‘happy’ Man City hearing finally set to start
- City face 80 breaches of financial rules between 2009 and 2018, plus a further 35 of failing to cooperate with a Premier League investigation
- “Start soon, and hopefully finish soon,” Guardiola said of the hearing at his pre-match press conference on Friday ahead of Brentford’s trip to the Etihad
Last-gasp Lukaku saves Napoli’s blushes at rock-bottom Verona
- Lukaku forced home Giovane’s cross to give third-placed Napoli all three points
- He gave Napoli a huge win with both Como and Atalanta pushing for a top-four placing
MILAN: Romelu Lukaku kept Napoli on course for a Champions League spot with a last-gasp winner in Saturday’s 2-1 victory over rock-bottom Verona, the Belgium forward’s first goal of the season.
Lukaku forced home Giovane’s cross to give third-placed Napoli all three points with the last kick of the game at the Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi.
Napoli had looked like dropping points in northern Italy when Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro levelled Rasmus Hojlund’s early opener in the 65th minute.
But Lukaku, who only played his first game of the season in late January, gave Napoli a huge win with both Como and Atalanta pushing for a top-four placing.
However Napoli’s title defense is all but over as they trail runaway league leaders Inter Milan, who host Genoa in Saturday’s late match, by 11 points after an injury-ravaged season.
Napoli were missing key midfielders Scott McTominay, Kevin De Bruyne and Andre-Frank Anguissa on Saturday, as well as captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo.
Verona, under interim coach Paolo Sammarco following the sacking of Paolo Zanetti earlier this month, are 10 points from safety after a 12th straight match without a win.
Como, who face Inter in the first leg of the Italian Cup semifinals on Tuesday, strolled to 3-1 victory over strugglers Lecce to continue their push for a first-ever qualification for European football.
Cesc Fabregas’s team are two points behind Roma, in fourth and Juventus’ opponents on Sunday, and five behind Napoli.
Star man Nico Paz started on the bench for Como ahead of that clash with Inter, the Argentine starlet coming on midway through the second half with the hosts already two goals to the good.
Como went behind early to a fine Lassana Coulibaly header, but Tasos Douvikas, Jesus Rodriguez and Marc Oliver Kempf all netted before half-time to secure a simple three points.
Como moved two points ahead of sixth-placed Juve who face Roma trying to stay in touch with the Champions League places after being eliminated from Europe’s elite club competition by Galatasaray on Wednesday.
