Pep Guardiola: Premier League rivals want to punish Manchester City

Pep Guardiola believes La Liga president Javier Tebas is right when he says most Premier League clubs want Manchester City punished for alleged breaches of financial regulations.

On Monday, an independent commission will begin hearing on more than 100 charges against the Premier League champions.

In the worst case, violations could result in points being deducted and possible relegation. City strongly denies any wrongdoing.

Tebas has long been a critic of City's ownership and was quoted by the Spanish newspaper on Friday World Sports stating that “many Premier League clubs … understand that City should be sanctioned”.

While Guardiola acknowledged that many of City's top-flight rivals are hoping for punishment, he said all parties involved must be patient and await the commission's verdict.

“Maybe (Tebas) is right. Because all Premier League teams want us to be punished, that's for sure. I agree with Tebas for the first time and hopefully for the last time. I'm pretty sure I agree,” Guardiola said.

GO DEEPER

This is how the 115 charges against Manchester City could end: Acquittal? Settlement? Deductions? Worse?

“That's why I say to Mr Tebas and the Premier League teams: wait for the independent panel. In a modern democracy there is justice, so wait for the decision, it is not more complicated than that.”

“But I don't know if he's a lawyer or if the other Premier League teams are lawyers. So I ask you: wait, this is what happened with UEFA. We believe we did nothing wrong, so we'll go to an independent body and wait. Good.”

Guardiola said he was happy that the hearing before the independent commission was set to begin more than 18 months after the Premier League brought charges against City, but claimed he had not spoken to anyone at the club or his players about it.

“It will start soon and hopefully end soon. An independent committee will decide. I look forward to the decision,” he said.

“We are not lawyers. Erling (Haaland) is not a lawyer, so we have not discussed it. What will happen is before the independent panel and we will accept the verdict.”

“I'm not talking about it, I'm not talking about it. I'm glad it starts on Monday and I know there will be more rumors about the verdicts that will come out and we'll see.”

“I know what people are looking for, I know what they expect – I know because I've been reading it for many years – but I said everyone is innocent until proven guilty. So we'll see.”