Enzo Maresca has defended Manchester City's achievements after a guilty verdict over financial rule breaches, saying the trophies remain deserved.
The Manchester City manager also said he would still have joined the club, speaking to reporters on Friday, October 9, 2026.
His comments came as the club prepares to appeal the Premier League commission's findings ahead of Sunday's match against Liverpool at Anfield.
According to reports from The Telegraph, The Guardian, BBC Sport and Sky Sports, the independent commission found that Manchester City had inflated revenues and reduced costs by £920 million between 2009 and 2018.
The verdict concerns more than 100 alleged breaches of the Premier League's financial rules, and the club has challenged the ruling through an appeal.
Maresca Stands by City's Trophies
Maresca, who worked on Pep Guardiola's coaching staff during City's treble-winning 2022-23 campaign, rejected suggestions that the club's accomplishments should now be viewed differently.
"Absolutely not," Maresca said when asked whether City's success under Abu Dhabi ownership had been tainted.
The Italian pointed to his firsthand experience of the work behind the treble, noting that the 2022-23 season was not among the periods examined by the commission.
He maintained that the players, coaching staff and club had made substantial efforts to achieve those results.
"Absolutely not. Again, the last time I was here was the treble season.
I know the effort from the players, from the club, from the manager in that time, who was Pep," Maresca said.
"So I know exactly the effort that the club put in to achieve that kind of target. I don't have any doubt about that.
So again, I would like to speak about this subject when we're going to win the appeal."
He also defended his decision to join Manchester City, saying his previous experience with the organization had shaped his confidence in its conduct.
"One hundred percent — because again, I know the organization from years ago and I know how serious they are.
I know that they do the right things," Maresca said.
His comments followed an earlier interview with Manchester City in which he expressed complete trust in the club.
The manager maintained that his immediate priority was preparing the squad for its next fixture rather than responding to outside criticism.
Unity and Focus Before Liverpool Test
Maresca also stressed the importance of unity among the club's owners, executives, players and supporters as City navigate the fallout from the verdict.
He echoed the call for togetherness previously made by striker Erling Haaland, while emphasizing that the team must continue its work on the pitch.
"In this moment, it's also a matter of being together, sticking together, as Erling Haaland said yesterday. It is true," Maresca said.
"In this moment, it is a matter of recognizing the situation and the noise, but the most important thing is that we should continue to do the right things."
"We are on the same page with the owners, players, CEO, sporting directors and the fans.
What we need is the passion from our fans, their voice, and hopefully, at the end, we can celebrate a good win."
The manager also described the squad as focused on football despite the scrutiny surrounding the club.
He said senior players Erling Haaland and Ruben Dias were helping their teammates maintain their focus.
"They need to help their teammates, and they are doing that.
But again, I understand that you want to hear or listen to different words from me, but the real words are that the players, despite the noise, are 20 or 25 years old, they enjoy their training, they go home happy, they are top of the league, so they are relaxed," Maresca said.
"They are just thinking about how to beat Liverpool, and hopefully we're going to try."
When asked whether he would remain at the club if Manchester City were relegated to League One, Maresca responded with a reference to his previous managerial experience at Leicester City.
"I won the Championship with Leicester. So, in the case of League One, we're going to see.
We are thinking about something that we don't know," he said.
Manchester City are scheduled to face Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, October 11, with kickoff set for 4:30 p.
m. UK time, according to Sky Sports.
The fixture will be one of the club's first major tests following the commission's verdict, as the appeal process remains ongoing.
