3 days Ago By [email protected] (Dan Marsh)
Aymeric Laporte says Manchester City players have been told they should be 'very calm' over the 115 charges that have been alleged against the club. The Premier League champions have been accused of financial wrongdoing over a nine-year period between 2009 and 2018 and the hearing which will determine their fate begins this week. A verdict following the trial - which will be held in secret and could last for more than 10 weeks - is not expected until next year.
City have long maintained their innocence and former defender Laporte has revealed that the club's top brass sought to reassure their top stars in the wake of speculation over the 115 charges, insisting they would not lose the court case. “When I was there and the news broke, the sporting director (Txiki Begiristain) and the CEO (Ferran Soriano) came and told all the players and staff that we can all be very calm because not one rule has been broken by Man City,” Laporte told The Mail . “They told us everything was fine so that’s why we all think City will be fine.
I don’t think there will be any issues. Like Pep Guardiola always says, if something wrong has been done, they will have to pay for it.” Speaking last week, Guardiola claimed that City's rivals want to see them punished after La Liga President Javier Tebas claimed he had spoken with Premier League clubs who wanted to see them pay.
“Maybe he's right and all the Premier League teams want this,” said Guardiola. “I agree with Tebas for the first time and maybe the last. That's why I say to Mr Tebas and to the Premier League teams - wait for the independent panel.
“I know what people are looking for, I know what they're expecting, because I've known it for many, many years, but I've said everyone is innocent until guilt is proven. Justice is there in a modern democracy so wait for the decision. It's not more complicated than that.
“I don't know if he's a lawyer or the rest of the Premier League teams are lawyers, but we had this with UEFA many times. We go to an independent panel and we wait. I'm not a lawyer.
There are many lawyers in this country, but I wait. We're going to wait and see. “What is going to happen is with the independent panel and we will accept the sentence.
I'm happy it starts on Monday. There will be more rumours and we're going to see. “It starts soon and hopefully finishes soon.
An independent panel will decide. I'm looking forward to the decision.” Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content.
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