Erling Haaland appealed to everyone in Manchester City to “stick together” in his first public comments since the club was found guilty of wide-ranging financial breaches in Premier League.
City will play Liverpool on Sunday in his first game since an inquiry panel ruled that City artificially inflated its revenue by more than $1 billion from 2009-18 to circumvent Financial Fair Play rules that restricted rival clubs during that period.
Erling Haaland has urged Manchester City fans to stay positive. (Photo by Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
City were found guilty by the panel of all 80 serious financial charges brought by the Premier League and could be hit with heavy sanctions – including expulsion from the top flight. The City has filed an appeal against the findings.
In an interview with Sky Sports published on Thursday, Haaland – City’s most high-profile player – said: “We have to stick together and we have to spread the love to each other. So yes, stick together, enjoy the journey and smile.”
Asked what his message would be to City fans traveling to Anfield, where a potentially hostile reception awaits the team, Haaland said: “We have to stay together, we have to stay with each other and we have to stay positive.
“No matter what happens in life, we always have to have a smile. So we have to stay positive, look forward and try to win football matches and then try to enjoy the situation and the game.”
City manager Enzo Maresca is likely to face tougher questions on Friday when he holds his pre-match press conference with reporters. It will be Maresca’s first remarks on the scandal, with domestic football suspended for the past three weeks due to an extended international break.
Premier League managers talk about Man City’s case
The return of the Premier League offers managers of rival teams a first opportunity to react to City’s case which has rocked the world’s most popular football league and is likely to have a major impact on the remainder of the season.
They weren’t rushing to judgment on Thursday.
“We’ve all seen the news. It’s obviously big news,” said Frank Lampard, the Coventry manager, who played for City for one of the seasons – 2014-15 – that has come under investigation.
“Man City are appealing the situation, so I guess my reaction is: what can you say when an appeal is happening? I’m not inside the story, I’m completely outside it – I played for Man City a long time ago, for a year – so we’ll wait and see what the outcome of the appeal is.”
Bournemouth Manager Marco Rose preferred to stay away from the matter, saying: “I’m a football coach, not a politician”, while Newcastle manager Matthias Jaissle said he was “not in a position to judge” as manager of another club and “has the authorities looking after it”.
In a similar vein, Leeds manager Daniel Farke said there were “more qualified people … able to talk about it.”
Speaking at the Leaders in Sport conference in London, Leeds chairman Paraag Marathe – president of the club’s US ownership group, 49ers Enterprises – said he believed “the fairest result, I’m sure, will be achieved”.
“In any sport, everyone wants to play by the same rules,” he added, without mentioning City.
Reporting by the Associated Press.