Luis Enrique urges patience over Manchester City verdict and hopes sanctions can be avoided

Paris St-Germain coach Luis Enrique has said he hopes Manchester City escape sanctions following the verdict against them over Premier League financial rules. BBC Sport reported that he addressed the case at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday, saying the authorities must be allowed to reach their final decision.

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Enrique said the finding had surprised him, but defended City's sporting achievements and said their performances merited their trophies. His comments came before PSG's Champions League visit on Wednesday, which BBC Sport said would be City's first home fixture since the guilty verdict.

The dispute remains subject to an appeal. According to Sky Sports, City confirmed they lodged it at 7pm on October 1, maintaining their innocence and arguing that the commission's conclusions contained errors in law, principle and fact. The club said it had evidence supporting its position and would respect the process while further proceedings limited what it could say publicly.

Sky Sports reported that the independent commission found commercial arrangements had artificially increased City's revenues by £830m between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons. It also found that the club's accounts concealed its actual financial position and that spending limits imposed by both the Premier League and Uefa had been significantly breached. These are findings City are contesting, not concessions by the club.

The commission additionally upheld three of four alleged failures to cooperate with the investigation, leaving one unproven, Sky Sports reported. The Premier League subsequently confirmed receipt of City's appeal and said the independent appeal hearing would be confidential until its outcome could be published. An appeal board is separate from the original commission and consists of three members.

Enrique's support for City's football did not amount to a prediction of the appeal's outcome: he repeatedly deferred to the authorities. PSG forward Ousmane Dembele also rejected the suggestion that City's off-field problems necessarily made them easier opponents, pointing to the quality of their players and coach, according to BBC Sport.