Pep Guardiola says he has been shown proof Manchester City are innocent of the financial irregularities that have seen the club hit with a European ban.
City, who face Real Madrid in the last-16 of the Champions League on Wednesday (today), have been handed a two-year suspension after being found guilty of breaching Financial Fair Play regulations by UEFA.
The club, who intend to appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport, have often cited “irrefutable evidence” that they have not violated FFP regulations, and speaking at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday evening, Guardiola revealed he has been given a run down of the case by City chiefs.
“We were under suspicion for a long time, we have the right to appeal and I trust the people in my club,” said Guardiola. “They explain the reasons, they showed me the arguments and the proofs. We are optimistic that finally if we deserve to be in the Champions League we can do it next season, if finally, it doesn’t happen we have to accept and move forward.
“My trust is with the club. I know them. We are going to see what happens with CAS.”
Guardiola, who has won the Champions League twice while in charge at Barcelona but has never been beyond the quarterfinals with City, insists his players should not need a potential ban as extra motivation as they attempt to progress at the expense of the Zinedine Zidane’s 13-times winners.
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