Maresca: Man City titles 'absolutely not' tainted after guilty verdict on 115 charges

Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has declared the club’s titles are “absolutely not” tainted after they were found guilty of the majority of the 115 charges brought by the Premier League. Speaking at a news conference on Friday, Maresca also reiterated his faith in the owners and his belief that City will win their appeal.

  • Verdict: Independent commission found Manchester City guilty of all charges relating to breaches of Premier League financial regulations between 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons.
  • Appeal: City have appealed the verdict and called the ruling “unsafe”, citing “clear material errors, of law, principle and fact”.
  • Next match: Manchester City travel to rivals Liverpool on Sunday – their first game since the verdict was announced.
  • Manager’s stance: Maresca says titles are “absolutely not” tainted and he has “no doubt” about the club’s hierarchy.
  • Player focus: Maresca insists the squad is unaffected by “the noise” and is focused only on what they can control on the pitch.

What was said

"The reason I joined this club is that I completely trust, 100%, the owner, the CEO, the sporting director, all the organisation. So I don't have doubt about that."

— Enzo Maresca, on his faith in the Manchester City hierarchy

"I spoke with the club for sure. We all trust, and probably the right moment to speak about that is when we are going to win this appeal."

— Enzo Maresca, on the club’s appeal against the verdict

"For me, the players - we can control just the pitch side, the football side. So we are focused on that. This is what we can do and what we can control."

— Enzo Maresca, on keeping the squad focused amid the off-field controversy

Maresca’s words carry a dual purpose. Publicly, he is shielding his players from the maelstrom surrounding the club, framing the trip to Anfield as a purely footballing challenge. Privately, his unwavering backing of the ownership and the appeal process sends a clear message of unity to the dressing room and the fanbase.

The Italian was notably relaxed as he faced questions dominated by the verdict, and his insistence that the titles remain untainted is a direct rejection of the narrative that City’s achievements are now compromised. By stating he knows “exactly the effort that the club put in to achieve” those honours, Maresca is drawing a line between the regulatory findings and the on-field product.

Why Maresca’s calm response is a calculated move

Enzo Maresca knows that Sunday’s match at Liverpool will be a cauldron. Anfield will be hostile, and the surrounding noise about the 115 charges will be at fever pitch. By projecting calm – even describing the feeling among his players as “fantastic” in an in-house interview on Thursday – he is attempting to normalise the extraordinary. The last thing he wants is for his squad to step onto the pitch feeling like victims or distracted by legal battles they cannot influence.

Tactically, this approach makes sense. City’s game model relies on composure, positional discipline and emotional control. If players are anxious about the club’s future or the validity of their past titles, that anxiety manifests as rushed passes, mistimed tackles and a loss of the structured dominance that has defined their recent success. Maresca’s job this week is to strip away the external narrative and reduce the match to its simplest terms: eleven against eleven, with three points at stake.

His comments about trusting the owner, the CEO and the sporting director also serve a practical purpose. Speculation about the club’s leadership and potential consequences will continue regardless, but a manager who publicly backs his bosses stabilises the internal environment. Maresca has only been in the job a short time, yet he is already demonstrating a political awareness that goes beyond the whiteboard. He is not just managing a team; he is managing a crisis.

Talking points

  • Maresca says the titles are not tainted, but can any honour be considered fully legitimate while an appeal against a guilty verdict is pending? The debate will rage regardless of the final outcome.
  • His claim that the players are unaffected by “the noise” will be tested at Anfield, where 60,000 fans will remind them of the charges at every opportunity. Mental resilience is as important as tactics.
  • If City win their appeal, Maresca’s steadfast defence will be vindicated. If they lose, his words will be used against him. He has tied his reputation to the ownership’s legal strategy.
  • Focusing solely on “what we can control” is a well-worn managerial cliché, but in this instance it is the only viable approach. The alternative – letting the players dwell on the verdict – would be self-sabotage.

What happens next

Manchester City travel to Liverpool on Sunday for their first match since the guilty verdict. The result will be scrutinised as much for the reaction of the players as for the scoreline. Beyond the weekend, the club’s appeal will proceed, with Maresca promising further comment only “when we are going to win this appeal.” Until then, every press conference and every performance will be framed by the 115 charges, and Maresca’s ability to keep his squad insulated from the storm will define City’s season.

Frequently asked questions

Did Enzo Maresca say Manchester City’s titles are tainted?

No. Maresca said the titles are “absolutely not” tainted and that he knows exactly the effort the club put in to achieve them.

What did Maresca say about Manchester City’s appeal against the 115 charges?

He said he completely trusts the owner, CEO, sporting director and the whole organisation, and that the right moment to speak about the appeal is when they win it.

When is Manchester City’s next match after the verdict?

Manchester City play away to rivals Liverpool on Sunday, their first match since the guilty verdict was announced.

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