Guardiola returns to Etihad as Man City host PSG post-verdict — SkimNews
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- Pep Guardiola is set to attend Manchester City's Champions League tie against PSG on Wednesday, October 14 — his first return to Etihad Stadium since leaving the club at the end of last season.
- The fixture is Manchester City's first home match since an independent commission found them guilty of all charges relating to breaches of Premier League financial regulations from 2009-10 to 2017-18.
- City deny wrongdoing and have lodged an appeal against findings that the club falsely inflated commercial revenues by £830m through "sham" contracts.
- Guardiola publicly backed the club's owners and leadership on social media after the verdict, writing "we will get through this together."
- City return to action after a three-week international break with a Premier League match at Liverpool on Sunday at 16:30 BST before hosting PSG.
- During his tenure, Guardiola led City to six Premier League titles (including four straight from 2020-21), the Champions League, three FA Cups, and five League Cups.
Why it matters: Guardiola has no formal role at City anymore, yet he's choosing to be physically present in the stands during the club's first home match under the cloud of a guilty verdict on all 115 charges. His public declaration of support signals that those closest to ownership view the verdict as a battle to be fought publicly, not quietly weathered — and the £830m figure in the Premier League's findings underlines the scale of what's at stake on appeal.
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