3 days Ago By [email protected] (Joe Bray)
'Be very calm' has been the mantra at Manchester City even before they were hit with 115 charges for alleged financial breaches by the Premier League . City had faced down UEFA at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, always insisting their innocence, and won - and their stance in the face of the Premier League charges has always been the same. In the club's only official statement on the charges, they said they welcome the chance to present their 'irrefutable' body of evidence to prove their innocence in front of an independent panel.
Today, that opportunity begins, with the start of an eagerly anticipated trial that will have huge implications on the wider Premier League whatever verdict is reached. ALSO READ: Man City reactions to Premier League 115 charges need hearing in 'ominous' madness ALSO READ: Pep Guardiola response to Man City's 115 charges question sums up what nobody is willing to accept On the eve of the behind-closed-doors trial, former defender Aymeric Laporte has revealed how CEO Ferran Soriano and sporting director Txiki Begiristain held a meeting with players and staff to reassure them soon after news of the charges dropped. Pep Guardiola has always said that City and their directors have reassured him that they have done nothing wrong, with Guardiola urging patience outside of the Etihad for the legal process to play out fairly.
Now, Laporte has lifted the lid on that meeting, telling the Mail : "‘When I was there and the news broke, the sporting director [Begiristain] and the CEO [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. "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." Guardiola had spoken on the impending trial last week, saying he welcomed the start of proceedings that he hopes will end the matter soon. He insisted City will accept any punishment that may come their way, but sent a reminder that City are 'innocent until proven guilty'.
"It starts soon and hopefully finishes soon," the manager said. "What is going to happen is with the independent panel and we will accept the sentence. I don't talk about it.
"I'm happy it's starting on Monday. I know there will be more rumours, new specialists about the sentences. We're going to see.
I know what people are looking forward to, what they expect, I know, what I read for many, many years. Everybody is innocent until guilt is proven. So we'll see.
"All the Premier League teams want us to be sanctioned, that is for sure. But that's why I say to Mr Tebas [La Liga president] and the Premier League teams, wait for the independent panel. Justice is there in a modern democracy.
It's not more complicated than that. "I don't know if he is a lawyer or the rest of the Premier League teams are lawyers, so I ask for that. It happened with Uefa.
We believe we have not done anything wrong.”.
