PEP GUARDIOLA has revealed NINE Premier League teams wanted Manchester City booted out of the Champions League.
The Etihad boss gave a defiant press conference as he spoke for the first time since the club were charged with 115 breaches of financial regulations by the Premier League.
Guardiola, 52, recalled when City were found guilty of breaching Uefa’s FFP regulations and banned from competing in Europe for two years in 2020.
That ban was successfully overturned after an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
But Guardiola sensationally revealed NINE Prem teams wanted City booted out of the Champions League at the time.
Comparing the 2020 case to now, Guardiola said: “When Uefa make a sentence against us, nine teams – Burnley, Wolves, Leicester, Newcastle, Spurs, Arsenal, United, Liverpool, Chelsea – [wanted City] out of the Champions League when they wanted that position.
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“There are no enemies or friends, just interests. They wanted to take our position [in the Champions League]. This situation is absolutely zero difference.
“It’s the same articles, same accusations. You have to go to League One, League Two, no not enough, maybe Conference. We have been in lower divisions.”
Guardiola joked he’d bring back club legends Paul Dickov and Mike Summerbee if the club were relegated, as he continued to refer to the 2020 case.
He said: “If we go back there it’s not a problem for us, we will call Paul Dickov and Mike Summerbee… and we will be back I’m pretty sure, if we go there.
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“But they should wait because [only] in the end is it decided what happens, and they didn’t wait in the UEFA situation.”
Guardiola suggested on Friday that City are “already being condemned”, despite not being found guilty of breaching financial regulations.
Speaking on the charges, which were announced on Monday, he declared: “My first thought is we are already being condemned.
“What has happened after Monday is the same as happened with Uefa [in 2020]. We were condemned.
“We have just a charge. Why should when they told me before they defend the accusation from UEFA, the club proved we were completely innocent, why should now be condemned?
“19 teams of the Premier League is accusing us without the chance to defend and the words of my chairman my CEO my owner explain everything, you know what side I am on.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
