Former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is expected to attend next week's Champions League match against Paris Saint-Germain at the Etihad Stadium, his first appearance there since leaving last summer. The visit comes during a turbulent period for the club, which was found guilty of multiple Premier League financial rule breaches after a long-running investigation. City have appealed the decision and deny all the charges.
Guardiola, who led the club to six Premier League titles and a Champions League during his decorated decade in charge, publicly backed the board and supporters after the ruling, saying he remains entirely behind the team. He is expected to be in attendance on October 14, when Enzo Maresca's side takes on Paris Saint-Germain, shortly after City resume their domestic campaign away at Liverpool.
Broadcaster and former England captain Gary Lineker urged Manchester City to "own" the situation and accept whatever punishment comes its way for the "good of the game". An independent commission concluded that more than £830m of owner funding was used to inflate revenues through a series of "sham" arrangements covering 2009-10 to 2017-18. The club has protested its innocence and appealed.
Lineker said he would not be surprised if the club were stripped of the three league titles won during that period, adding that the players and fans would suffer most. Former City player Kyle Walker, who spent eight years at the club, said the squad would always have the memories of its achievements "whatever happens".
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing