Maresca says City squad retains full trust in club during appeal

Enzo Maresca says Manchester City's players continue to trust the club completely while it appeals the findings in its Premier League financial-rules case. In an in-house interview reported by BBC Sport on Thursday, the head coach described himself as calm and said the squad was concentrating on football rather than the controversy surrounding the club.

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His public comments followed the return of City's international players to training on Thursday. Most of the squad had been away with their national teams when the verdict became public. BBC Sport had previously reported that Maresca would address the players on their return and understood that he had asked them to maintain their attitude and focus despite the off-field situation.

Maresca described the atmosphere as positive, saying the players were excited about their next two matches and their position at the top of the league. He said they recognised that performances were the part of the situation they could control. Their immediate task, he added, was to work out how to win at Liverpool, with supporters helping the team at Anfield.

City have appealed and continue to deny wrongdoing. According to BBC Sport, the Premier League report published nine days before the players' return found the club guilty of most of the 115 charges and said contracts had been used to conceal more than £830 million in funding. The BBC reported that City had not yet received a punishment, leaving the sanction unresolved alongside the club's challenge to the findings.

Erling Haaland also spoke about the situation in an interview with Sky Sports, cited by the BBC. The striker expressed his attachment to City and its fans, called for unity and encouraged those connected with the club to remain positive. His comments echoed Maresca's emphasis on continuing to play and win matches during the dispute.

Elsewhere, the BBC reported that several clubs had instructed their managers not to comment on the case. Nottingham Forest manager Oliver Glasner instead called for a quick conclusion, citing the uncertainty Crystal Palace experienced over their European competition status in 2025. He said confidence in the league's integrity was important to retaining supporters' trust.