Pep Guardiola has demanded an apology from UEFA after the Manchester City Champions League’s two-year ban was lifted.
And the city manager believes that his team’s presence at the top end of the Premier League is “uncomfortable” for traditional English football giants like Liverpool and Manchester United.
City saw its ban on Europe’s main competition lifted by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Monday morning after it was found that they had not violated UEFA Financial Fair Play regulations.
However, the city’s name has not been fully erased, and Guardiola’s side has been found guilty of failing to cooperate with the UEFA investigation. A fine of around £ 10 million was delivered as the original was reduced from £ 25 million in February.
Crucially, however, CAS found no evidence to disguise capital funds as sponsorship contributions, as the governing body of European football had alleged.
And the Catalan came swinging at his first press conference since the decision, apologizing to UEFA and at the same time claiming that the club’s status as one of the richest on the planet irritates the Reds and their team’s local rival , United.
Guardiola said: “We should apologize because if we did something wrong, we will accept UEFA’s decision because we did something wrong.”
“We do not expect Liverpool, Tottenham, Arsenal, Chelsea or Wolves to defend us, but we have the right to defend ourselves when we believe that what we have done is correct and three independent judges said this.”
“Today is a good day, yesterday was a good day for football because we play by the same rules as all the clubs in Europe.”
“If we had broken the FFP, we would have been banned, but we have to defend ourselves because we were right. People said that we were cheating and lying and that the presumption of innocence was not there.”
“When it was shown that we were right, we were incredibly happy because we can stand up for what we have done on the field.”
“This club tried throughout history, on Maine Road or without heroes like Colin Bell or Mike Summerbee, the legends we have had, we have done our best to do it on the field.”
“I know that for elite clubs like Liverpool, United, Arsenal, it is awkward for us to be here.”
“But they have to understand that we deserve to be with them and fight for the achievements they have made in the past. We deserve to be stronger year after year. There are incredible people in this organization who work to improve us.”
“We don’t have to ask permission to be there, we deserve to be there. When we lose, I will shake their hands and congratulate them, but all the time we have. Guys, accept it.”
“We want to be here and we try. Sometimes we win, sometimes not, but they have to understand it. Don’t whisper and go behind us, do it on the field.”
“People cannot forget that we were harmed. Our reputation was damaged by accusations that show that they were not true. That is why they have to be happy or at least accept because we must complain and we do not do it, for what others should not say much more than this. “
The former Barcelona coach also pointed to Liga president Javier Tebas, who called CAS “not up to scratch” after Monday’s decision.
He added: “It is another, Mr. Thebes must be so jealous of English football. He is an incredible legal expert from what I say, maybe next time I will ask them which court and judges we have to go to.”
“He has to be concerned and concerned about La Liga and focus there, but normally when the phrase is good for him it is perfect, but when he is against it, the problem is for the others. We will be in the Champions League next season.” , Lord Thebes, because what we did we did correctly “.
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