Man City release cleverly-worded Enzo Maresca statement as four Prem bosses have their say on FFP verdict

Manchester City’s PR machine continues to insist all is rosy in the garden amid the Premier League’s decision to find them guilty of 114 counts of financial irregularities, with the club releasing timely interviews with boss Enzo Maresca and striker Erling Haaland.

City return to action this Sunday in what will be a cauldron of an atmosphere at Anfield as Liverpool and their fans plan what is sure to be a frosty welcome.

Having been found guilty of a number of sham commercial deals that swelled their accounts and allowed them to spend freely on the transfer market over a nine-year spell between 2009 and 2018, the Premier League is currently considering the most suitable punishment to mete out.

But while City continues to insist on their innocence, albeit with a top sports lawyer exclusively telling TEAMtalk why their appeal carries an enormous element of risk, the club has now released two perfectly timed interviews to insist it is not only business as usual, but that the current Premier League leaders are feeling calm, relaxed and excited about their future.

In a cleverly worded statement released on their website, Maresca was quoted as saying: “The feeling is fantastic, to be honest.

“The players are excited for the next two games. But especially they are excited because in this moment we are top of the league.

“The players are just focused on that.

“They know what we can control is the football side – they are not worried at all about different things.

“They know their profession, and they know that the noise is there, but they don’t care too much about the noise. They are just focused in this moment on how we can beat Liverpool and how, together with the fans, we can try to win at Anfield.”

Striker Erling Haaland also sent the City supporters a message, adding: “They’re going to have a good time.

“We have to stick 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 ahead, and try to win football games and try to enjoy the situation and win the game.

“We have to stick together; we have to spread the love to each other. So yeah: stick together, and enjoy the ride and smile.”

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Four Premier League managers react to Man City FFP verdict: Lampard, Farke…

With the Premier League returning to action on Saturday, several managers have already held their pre-match press conferences, and there was understandably a lot of focus put on City’s charges.

Coventry’s Frank Lampard, Leeds boss Daniel Farke, Matthias Jaissle of Newcastle, plus Bournemouth’s Marco Rose were first to react, and this is what they said.

Lampard: “We’ve all seen the news; it’s obviously big news, Man City are appealing.

“I guess my reaction is that, right? What can you say when an appeal is going on? I’m not inside the story; I’m outside it completely.

“I played for Man City a long time ago now, for one year. We’ll wait and see what the result of the appeal is and onwards. I don’t know the timelines at all.”

On possible sanctions this season, he added: “I don’t know, for Man City? I’m outside the loop. I have this job and my, not problems, but things I need to work on, and I always respect a manager for whatever situation; there are a lot of things you don’t know.

“This is obviously something we do know, but they are obviously a huge football club now, a huge squad of quality players, so we will see.”

Farke: “Not my topic. There are more qualified people to speak about this. It’s not up to me; I was not involved in the title race during these years.

“Only won one game with Norwich, so I can’t really complain. Makes no sense if everyone in the world talks about this.”

His chairman, Paraag Marathe, was a little more forthcoming, however, adding on the BBC: “We’ll let everything play out through the proper channels. Obviously I have some certain opinions on it that it is probably best I don’t share at the moment.

“Whatever is the just result is, I am sure going to be delivered. When the platform is there, and the money is right (I’ll respond). I want to make sure I am educated on it before I deliver an opinion. It just has to be what is just.

“Whatever is right and just, but I don’t know enough about it personally yet. In any sport, everybody wants to play by the same rules, and for any sport, you want a level playing field. Everyone is focused on the task at hand, and right now that is Saturday at Arsenal; that is our focus.”

Jaissle: “I think as a manager of another club, I am not able to judge, and it is not my job. Especially, it is not in my job description to judge on that.

“The authorities are taking care of it, and there is a clear process now which will be followed and speaking on behalf of the whole club, it is the right approach to focus on what we can do better and what we can influence on the pitch.

“We should just focus on what we can influence and, in general, as a club, to improve and strive forward. Just focus on what we can do better.”

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Rose: “I played many times against Manchester City in the Champions League with my former clubs, and for me it was always the best thing to challenge with the best players and the best clubs in the world.

“That’s what I felt. I’m not this kind of guy who blames someone with not enough information. Of course, I hear everything, I read everything, but I do not have all the information.

“I trust in the guys who are involved in these kinds of things and situations, and then we will see what happens. I’m a football coach, not a politician, and I love to be a football coach, and it should stay like this.”