‘Looks Terrible’—How Every Premier League Manager Reacted to Man City’s Guilty Verdict

The long-awaited news that Manchester City had been found guilty by an independent commission of every charge relating to “artificially inflating the club’s revenues” for a nine-year period broke at an interesting time in the soccer calendar.

The Premier League’s punchy statement was released right in the midst of a three-week international break. A lack of club action allowed for heightened focus on the fallout from a decision which Manchester City are vehemently appealing, but also prevented so many of the main characters directly affected by this decision from commenting.

Enzo Maresca had used the time well, delivering a clear and defiant defense of his employers before the rest of the Premier League’s managerial class were entitled to have their say.

Unai Emery had Aston Villa’s press officer to thank for blocking any and all questions about the topic, but others weren’t so fortunate.

‘Relentless’—Condemnation Hard to Come by

“The consequences City are staring down look stark.”

Manchester City could face a range of punishments over the 115 Premier League charges. From financial penalties and points deductions to suspension, expulsion and potentially even the stripping of titles.

Sports Illustrated… pic.twitter.com/BU5ksJAzt2
— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) September 25, 2026

Almost two weeks on from the official verdict, the media officers across the Premier League had clearly warned against the type of strident reaction which those from outside the division’s elite bubble were brave enough to offer. While no one went anywhere near the extremes of former Blackpool manager Ian Holloway—who called City’s owners “a disgrace” when reflecting on his relegated season with Tangerines during the period in question—there was some tentative twisting of the knife.

It was an interesting choice of the word “relentless” from Sunderland’s Régis Le Bris, echoing the term used by Manchester City chief executive Ferran Soriano in his unblinking address to staff when detailing the club’s response to the verdict.

”The relevant authorities have to be relentless otherwise you lose the value of your competition,” Le Bris bristled. “My position is simple, football has rules on and off the pitch. You have to respect those rules. When they are broken, you should have consequences, otherwise it’s not fair and we want fair competition, we want fair play.”

Crystal Palace’s Pierre Sage called it “a national problem,” while David Moyes had a distinctly Everton-tinged view of the punishment.

As the Toffees manager pointed out, his club were docked six points in 2023 for one breach of the financial regulations which City are found to have flouted more than 100 times. “Looking at it now from where I am sitting, it looks terrible that we have been docked points and pay some fines and not that long ago,” Moyes mused.

“There’s other things that have been going on—nearly 10 years ago—that have not been dealt with. I find that really difficult. I hope it’s not just Everton who are getting picked on here.”

On the other side of Merseyside, Liverpool’s Andoni Iraola added that “uncertainty is not good for anyone involved.”

Nottingham Forest manager Oliver Glasner fretted at the potential consequences for the rest of the division. “The most important thing is the integrity of the league because as soon as the fans can’t trust it, they won’t watch it any more,” he warned.

Mikel Arteta’s Common Stance Does Himself No Favors With Fans

Mikel Arteta at Manchester City. — Mikel Arteta was Pep Guardiola’s first assistant manager at Manchester City. | Martin Rickett/PA Images/Getty Images

Instead of condemnation for an official guilty verdict, the overriding response from the Premier League’s managers was one of caution. As so many were keen to point out, City are still protesting their innocence and are awaiting the outcome of an appeal.

It felt pointed that Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, who served as Pep Guardiola’s assistant at City during the tail-end of the period under investigation, should be so at pains to refrain from saying anything even mildly critical of a legal verdict.

“I fully understand the question but it’s very important that we respect the process, the timelines and the ongoing process that’s not resolved—because it’s been appealed,” Arsenal’s manager insisted, contrasting starkly with the mood of indignation in the club’s fanbase. “And my position—and the club’s position—is to not make any further comments until it’s resolved.”

Arteta added: “The people are responsible to manage this process with the right conclusions. I’m sure it will be done and it will be done in the right way.”

Xabi Alonso calling for caution. — Xabi Alonso called for caution. | Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC/Getty Images

Chelsea’s Xabi Alonso made the same argument, warning: “We need to be respectful.” “We need to wait until the final sanctions from the panel,” the former Liverpool midfielder outlined. “They are independent enough to assess all of the situations. I am not an expert. We need to respect the decisions and be patient.”

Alonso was hardly the only manager who weaponized his ignorance. “They have taken a lot of time and analyzed everything,” Iraola added. “My opinion is not valid as I have not read as much.”

Marco Rose admitted to consuming the vast quantities of analysis on the topic but still feigned cluelessness. “I’m not this kind of guy who blames someone with not enough information,” the former RB Leipzig manager, who once lost 7–0 to Manchester City, said. “Of course, I hear everything, I read everything, but I do not have all the information.”

“I’m a football coach not a politician and I love to be a football coach and it should stay like this.”
Marco Rose

Newcastle United’s Matthias Jaissle was keen to underscore the scope of his own profession as well: “It is not in my job description to judge on that.”

Keith Andrews also felt any discussion on this topic fell beyond his remit as Brentford manager. “As you’re probably aware, I’m not much of a speculator,” he told assembled media. “I tend to see what’s in front of me and discuss it and deal with that. To speculate, would certainly not be my style. So that’s why I won’t.”

Fabian Hürzeler went as far as admitting it was “a distraction,” although the Brighton boss stressed: “I can’t control anything from that!”

Michael Carrick Lays Out Demands Ridiculed by Jose Mourinho

Michael Carrick rubbing his eye. — Michael Carrick did actually have something interesting to say. | Tiego Grenho/MI News/NurPhoto/Getty Images

One manager with a vested interest in this case was Manchester United’s Michael Carrick. Not only is he the head of City’s fiercest rivals, but the former midfielder was part of the United teams that twice finished second to a side now found to have misrepresented their finances to the tune of £900 million.

“I’ve got my own questions about it,” the normally serene head coach seethed. “It’s affected me personally in different ways over a period of time.”

Wary of overplaying his hand before the appeal had been concluded, Carrick limited himself to calling for a swift verdict. “What I will say, the sooner it gets sorted, I think for everyone’s benefit, is essential,” he urged. “Speed is essential for everyone to be clear, to be able to deal with it, to be able to move on, whatever happens. It’s a unique situation to be in at this level, with such a huge impact in so many ways. So we all need to know what’s going to happen.”

Glasner wanted the same thing but warned: “There are thousands of pages to read. I read a book every night and it takes a long time to read a thousand pages. So it takes a bit of time, we have to be patient.”

José Mourinho, Carrick’s Manchester United manager when the Red Devils finished behind City in the 2017–18 season, was not getting his hopes up. “I think that we will reach a conclusion but, being in my 60s, I will have to be lucky enough still to be here when the final verdict arrives,” the current Real Madrid incumbent scoffed in an interview with Corriere dello Sport. “Now a ruling will come, then an appeal ... I’ll be 80.”

Former Premier League Champions Agree on Stripped Titles

Michael Carrick (left) and Frank Lampard. — Michael Carrick (left) and Frank Lampard both played during the period in question. | Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

The question of reassigning past titles was also raised by the two current Premier League managers who actually lifted the top-flight trophy during their playing days. Both Carrick and Coventry City’s Frank Lampard accepted that any chance of glory had already evaporated.

“It’s the moment that you strive for, to win and achieve in that moment. So the medal here or there, not getting blown away, but that doesn’t bring the feeling of whether you initially win or you don’t win,” Carrick lamented. “In the moment, you can’t take it back. Whether we did end up at some point, something along the lines of if something changes, it doesn’t change the emotion of that moment. Can’t get that back, won’t get that back.”

“That was a moment in time that I got to accept, and I’ll never get back.”
Michael Carrick

Lampard was the heartbeat of Chelsea’s midfield for most of the period under investigation before he curiously signed for City in 2014. The three-time Premier League champion was not losing any sleep over his trophy haul. “I have titles and I don’t have my titles hanging on my wall at home but I have them in my head,” the Coventry boss explained.

“I think it would be very hard to take someone’s title away as a player individually because they should be in your head as opposed to, you know, in this beautiful glass cabinet or whatever.”

The Tide of Apathy

Roberto De Zerbi covering his face. — Roberto De Zerbi has bigger issues. | Catherine Ivill/AMA/Getty Images

Fulham’s Álvaro Arbeloa had a curt response to the question of how quickly he would like a resolution to the biggest story in Premier League history:

“I don’t care.”
Álvaro Arbeloa

Forest’s Glasner was perplexed by the 24-hour coverage of a case which could have repercussions stretching all the way to U.K. foreign policy. “Is this is the only problem in the world we have right now?” the Austrian coach asked.

“It’s not a big topic at our training ground. For us it doesn’t matter.”

Leeds United boss Daniel Farke made the same point. “Not my topic,” he pointed out. “My topic is football.” Gary O’Neil of Ipswich Town freely admitted he had “not even given it a second’s thought.” “It would be crazy of me to try and give you an opinion on something that I know absolutely nothing about,” he shrugged.

Tottenham Hotspur’s press officer wanted to make sure it wasn’t a topic at all for Friday’s news conference, sending out a warning that any questions relating to Manchester City’s case would go unanswered. One sneaky reporter circumvented the blanket ban by raising the topic of Calciopoli, a scandal in Italian soccer which Roberto De Zerbi experienced as a player. The Spurs boss took the bait.

“When you’re a player you don’t think too much, when you’re a coach, the focus is on your players,” he claimed. “I have no time to think about other problems other than my team, my club.” Considering Tottenham sit rooted to the foot of the Premier League table, winless after spending more than $400 million, De Zerbi could be forgiven for overlooking City’s plight.

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