Hart trusts Man City chair Al Mubarak over ruling — SkimNews
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- Joe Hart told BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club he has "no reason not to trust" chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak's claim that Manchester City did not break financial rules, despite the club being found guilty of the majority of 115 Premier League breaches.
- Manchester City were found guilty of most of the 115 charges, which center on claims they inflated sponsorship revenue from connected companies and made other "off the books" payments to circumvent financial regulations; the club is set to appeal.
- Al Mubarak said he remains committed to "proving the club's innocence" and that the "process still has a long way to run" — a stance Hart said he "loved" hearing delivered in a letter from "someone who cared about the club."
- Hart, who made 348 appearances for City between 2006 and 2016 and won two Premier League titles, two League Cups and an FA Cup, said the lack of "anything concrete" means the matter should be allowed to "play out" and his achievements are not tarnished.
- Hart said he hasn't discussed the ruling with his former City teammates and refuses to be drawn into "ifs, buts and maybes," insisting of his time at the club: "It didn't feel like we were scheming or plotting."
Why it matters: A decorated former player's public endorsement gives Khaldoon Al Mubarak a high-profile ally heading into Manchester City's appeal against 115 Premier League financial breaches. Hart's framing of the charges as "nothing concrete" mirrors the club's stated appeal posture and reinforces the chairman's claim that the process "still has a long way to run."
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