Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick has called for a swift resolution to Manchester City’s financial charges case, saying the prolonged process has raised questions and affected him personally. Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca, meanwhile, has defended the club’s achievements, insisting their titles are not tainted.
Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola said the uncertainty surrounding City’s future was affecting the entire Premier League, while Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta urged everyone to respect the ongoing process.
City have denied wrongdoing and appealed against the findings of an independent commission, which found them guilty of breaching the Premier League’s financial rules over nine seasons between 2009-10 and 2017-18. The commission also found the club guilty of three of four charges relating to their failure to cooperate with the investigation.
With the appeal still pending, the case continues to draw attention across English football, with managers taking different positions on the matter.
CARRICK CALLS FOR SWIFT RESOLUTION
Carrick, who spent 12 years at Manchester United as a player between 2006 and 2018, said the case had raised several questions and that its prolonged nature made it difficult to comment on the possible outcome.
“It’s thrown up a lot of questions, some have had answers, some haven’t. As it’s still ongoing, and we don’t know how long it’s going to go, there’s only so much I can say,” Carrick said at a press conference on Friday.
The 45-year-old won five Premier League titles and the Champions League during his time at United. He also experienced title defeats to City, including the dramatic 2011-12 campaign when United finished second on goal difference after Sergio Aguero scored a stoppage-time winner against Queens Park Rangers on the final day.
Asked whether he wanted the titles United had missed out on to be revisited, Carrick said the feeling of winning mattered more than the medal itself.
“It’s the moment that you strive for to win and achieve in that moment, so the medal here or there, not getting blase about it, but that doesn’t bring the feeling of when you initially win or you don’t win. That’s essentially what we’re all in it for,” he said.
Carrick admitted the case had affected him personally but said he would wait for the process to conclude before drawing any conclusions.
“Certainly I’ve got my own questions about it, it’s affected me personally in different ways over a period of time. But as the case is going now I don’t know where that stands and how it’s going to end up, so we’ll just have to wait and see,” he added.
He stressed that a quick resolution would be in everyone’s interest.
MARESCA STANDS BY CITY’S ACHIEVEMENTS
Maresca offered a firm defence of Manchester City, rejecting suggestions that the club’s titles had been tainted by the charges.
The Italian was part of Pep Guardiola’s coaching staff when City won the treble in the 2022-23 season. He said he had seen the work that went into the club’s success and had no doubts about the effort made by the players and coaching staff.
“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, that was Pep. So I know exactly the effort that the club put to achieve that kind of target. So I don’t have any doubt about that,” Maresca said.
Asked whether he believed City’s achievements were tainted, he replied: “Absolutely not.”
Maresca, who replaced Guardiola in June, also expressed his faith in the club’s ownership. He said the financial case was not discussed during his contract negotiations and insisted he had no regrets about taking the job.
“I trust the club because I trust the people. So that is why I joined the club. And then there is not another club where I would like to be. So I’m very happy to be here, I’m very proud since day one,” he said.
The City manager said he would still have accepted the job had he known what lay ahead. He also questioned why he should discuss the consequences of a possible defeat in the appeal before the process had concluded.
When asked whether he would remain in charge if City faced sanctions, Maresca pointed to his experience of winning the Championship with Leicester City.
“I won the Championship with Leicester, so if we go down to League One, we will see,” he said.
City travel to Anfield to face Liverpool on Sunday. The match has also raised security concerns after a social media post urged supporters to gather for a team-bus welcome before kick-off.
Merseyside Police have said an appropriate policing operation will be in place. City’s bus was struck by bottles, cans and flares before a Champions League match at Anfield in 2018, leaving it damaged and requiring a replacement for the return journey.
IRAOLA HIGHLIGHTS UNCERTAINTY, ARTETA URGES CAUTION
Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola said the lack of clarity over City’s future was creating uncertainty across the Premier League.
With the appeal still pending, the eventual outcome remains unknown. Potential sanctions could include a points deduction, a fine or expulsion from the top flight, although no final decision has been announced.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, who worked under Guardiola at City between 2016 and 2019 before taking charge at the Emirates Stadium, chose not to comment in detail on the case.
Arteta said it was important to respect the process while the appeal remained unresolved.
“Obviously I think it’s very important that we respect the process, I think the timelines, and it’s still an ongoing process that is not resolved, because it’s been appealed,” Arteta said.
“And my position, I think the club’s position, is not to make any further comments until this is fully resolved.”
The Arsenal manager said he was confident the matter would be resolved in the right way. Arsenal have finished behind City in recent title races, but Arteta insisted his focus was on preparing his team for their own fixtures rather than the situation surrounding their rivals.
Asked whether the case could motivate City’s players, he said: “I don’t know, that’s something that’s not in our hands.”
“In our hands it’s the way we have prepared, since all the internationals are back, to be in the best possible condition, to be better than Leeds tomorrow and beat them and that’s where the focus has been,” he added.
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