Enzo Maresca has defended Manchester City celebrations that followed weekend win at Liverpool and admitted that they continued in the locker room.
The game at Anfield was City’s first since an Independent Commission ruled the club had breached 114 financial regulations. City continue to deny any wrongdoing and have appealed the verdict, but the issue continues to leave a stain on the English game.
City’s players showed no signs of distraction on Sunday with a superb performance and a victory that was celebrated with gusto in front of their traveling fans at the final whistle.
Many observers felt that a low-key approach would have been more appropriate given the circumstances, but Maresca felt that the smiles were justified.
Speaking ahead Wednesday night’s Champions League game with Paris Saint-Germain at the Etihadhas questioned why his players’ response has been criticised, stating: “Criticised for what? We won 3-0 at Anfield. What do you want us to do? And even if it was 1-0 it would be exactly the same.
“I’m here today, and the players are here today, to win the game tomorrow. And we work every day to win games. It’s the only thing, again, that we can think (about) and be focused on.
“The rest? We just have to deal with things outside, but we were so, so, so happy inside the pitch, and you can’t imagine inside the dressing room.”
Liverpool’s win was special for City fans: Maresca
Maresca said sharing the victory with the City fans was special given what they had been through over the past fortnight.
He added: “It’s probably been more difficult for our fans than for the players or for me. Probably because it’s more complicated because if I’m an Arsenal fan or a United fan, and you’re a Man City fan, I can say, ‘Hey my friend, you’re cheating’, or that sort of thing.
“So it was probably harder for them, but again, we were happy at the end of the game. Inside the dressing room we were very happy, celebrating the three points because we know how difficult it is at Anfield.”
City boss Rubén Dias echoed Maresca’s sentiments, adding: “I also agree very much with the manager’s words. It’s a win at Anfield. In any circumstances, be it now, maybe at the beginning of the season, be it later in the season, at any time; me and us will enjoy it equally, and we’ll celebrate it, but obviously in the moment it looks and feels like us.
“Whenever you win, there are people who are not happy because they have the same ambition, they also want to win. We do what we do, we go on the pitch, we play football and we win.”
We know the gravity of the situation – the head of Maresca City Council
Maresca says he and his players are fully aware of the potential consequences for City despite the club having shown a remarkable show of solidarity since the Independent Commission ruling.
“I have said many times, I am completely calm, relaxed,” he added. “I promise you that I put a lot of emphasis on game plans and how we can train every day, but I don’t worry about things that I don’t control.
“So the message to the players will be exactly the same as I said, we know the gravity of the situation but at the same time it’s not something we can do anything about. Where we can do things is on the pitch so I like to focus there and the message to the players is exactly the same.
“I said after the Liverpool game that the noise around the team is a lot of noise, but we have to try to deal with that and try to make our noise, which is to win games.”
City’s perfect record will be tested by PSG
City have won every game they have played this season, but that record will be the toughest test on Wednesday against the two-time European champions.
And Maresca admitted that this season’s Champions League carries extra significance as it may be the last time City compete in Europe’s top table for some time.
He said: “The Champions League for this organization is definitely very important, no doubt.
“We will try to improve, compared to the last two, three years when the club, the team struggled a bit.
“So we will try to do everything we can to improve it. Again, where we can be in March, April or whether this will be the last Champions League for a while, I don’t know.
“We’re definitely a good team, where are we at the moment compared to PSG? I don’t know.
“I know how good they are because the last two years they’ve won the last two Champions Leagues, that shows how good they are, but at the same time, again, I don’t know if we’re close, far, but we’re definitely a good team.”