Pep Guardiola Will Not Quit If Manchester City Get Relegated To League One
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has maintained that he believes the club will be found "innocent" despite facing 115 charges for allegedly breaking the Premier League's financial rules.
The Premier League charged City regarding those 115 alleged breaches in February this year, although the club's wrongdoing is said to have taken place between the 2009/10 and 2017/18 seasons.
No verdict - and therefore no punishment - is expected to arrive imminently, due to the vast scale of the case and City's adamant denial of all charges.
But City's case is back on the news agenda after the Premier League hit Everton with a 10-point penalty earlier this month.
Everton had previously admitted to one breach of the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules.
Since Everton's points deduction was enforced, there has been speculation that City will likely face relegation - or even multiple relegations - if found guilty of all 115 charges.
Manchester City could be relegated if found guilty of 115 breaches of the Premier League's financial rules
IMAGO/David Blunsden
Guardiola has faith that the club's lawyers will prevail against the charges.
However, he suggested in a press conference on Friday that he would be happy to stay at the Etihad Stadium even if the club got sent down to League One.
He told reporters: "You are questioning like we have been punished. In the moment we are innocent until guilt is proved.
"I know the people want it. I know, I feel it. I will wait. Wait and see it and after the sentence has been done we will come here and explain it.
"But absolutely I will not consider my future [if] it depends being here or being in League One.
"There is more chance to stay if we are in League One than if we win the Champions League."
Pep Guardiola has suggested that he would happily manage City in League One
IMAGO/PA Images/Martin Rickett
On the ongoing case, Guardiola added: "I didn't change for one second my opinion about it – take time, wait and see what they decide and after we accept the resolution.
"I won't say a word about Everton because I don't know the reality of what really happened.
"Maybe you know but I asked our team and they are two completely different cases.
"I know when people are saying, 'Okay, City - why don't they go to the Conference?' Wait. Wait. And after, what's going to happen is going to happen."
