Former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has backed the club following the conclusion of an independent commission that found Manchester City broke Premier League financial rules. Guardiola, who stood down last season after 10 years in charge at the Etihad, made his first comments on Wednesday, September 30, the day after the Premier League released the findings of the investigation.

“I want every single @ManCity fan to know I am here; more than ever. I am, always have been, and always will be, behind my club, my owner, my chairman, Ferran, the players, staff, Enzo and you, our unique supporters,” Guardiola said in a message on X. “Let me be clear: we will get through this together. I love you all.”

Guardiola has maintained a connection to the club following his managerial departure by continuing to work with Manchester City as a global ambassador for the City Football Group, offering technical expertise on certain projects and partnerships.

The Premier League announced on September 29 that an independent commission had found Manchester City guilty of all charges relating to breaking financial rules seriously and persistently across nine seasons between 2009/10 and 2017/18.

It said that the commission concluded City boosted revenue and reduced costs by more than £900 million by creating “sham” commercial agreements. That the club submitted misleading and incorrect accounts and failed to disclose its true financial position to auditors and football authorities. The Premier League also indicated that Manchester City failed to co-operate with the Premier League’s investigation into the matter, with three out of four allegations of failure to co-operate found to be true.

The charges relate to a period starting several years before Guardiola arrived at City in 2016. Manchester City has denied the findings of the commission and claimed to have evidence to prove its innocence.

“The Club is innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League and a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of all of its positions,” City said in a statement.

It added that it would exercise the option of appealing against the commission’s findings, saying that the commission’s report included “clear material errors of law, principle and fact.”

The Premier League said that Manchester City must appeal against the findings by Friday, October 2, 2026, with any punishment for breaching the rules to follow in a separate process overseen by the independent commission. The Premier League said that sanctions under its rules could include fines, point deductions and other sporting sanctions, but that no formal sanction had yet been determined.

Guardiola spent a decade at Manchester City, winning six Premier League titles, three FA Cups, five League Cups and the Champions League during his tenure. He handed over the managerial role to former assistant Enzo Maresca at the end of last season. Guardiola’s latest comments suggest that his relationship with the club continues in a different capacity as Manchester City prepares to fight the findings of the commission in an appeal.