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Pep Guardiola has hit back at Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin by telling him to keep quiet about Manchester City’s 115 Premier League charges and told him that, as a lawyer, he should not prejudge their case.
City face a hearing into alleged breaches of financial regulations when, if found guilty, they could be fined, given a points deduction, relegated or stripped of some of their titles.
But Guardiola, who has always insisted City are innocent, said that Ceferin – who faces a ‘mutiny’ and pending civil war at Uefa after key ally Zvonimir Boban resigned over Ceferin’s attempt to change the rules to allow him to remain as president until 2031 – should understand that the Champions League winners have a right to defend themselves and told him to concentrate on his work at Uefa.
The City manager said: “As a lawyer he should wait, and after he can do whatever he wants. Whatever sentence there is about Uefa he has to respect it. He has a lot to do at Uefa. A lawyer should respect the procedure. He knows we have the right to defend ourselves, it’s the only thing I can say.”
Ceferin said this week that Uefa were correct to give City a two-year suspension from European competitions, a ban which the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned in 2020.
“We know we were right,” Ceferin told the Daily Telegraph. “We wouldn’t decide if we didn’t think we were right.”
Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin has faced criticism from Pep Guardiola
(Getty Images)
Guardiola also said City would find the right successor to Omar Berrada, who will leave the Etihad Stadium to become Manchester United’s new chief executive.
He added: “I wish him all the best and good luck. He has been an important person, the right hand to Ferran [Soriano]. He decides for himself and the club will find the right person to move forward.
Kalvin Phillips is set to complete a loan move to West Ham and Guardiola revealed City will not look to replace the England international midfielder.
He said: “I wish him well. He is an exceptional human being. I am so grateful for his behaviour off the pitch and hopefully he can find minutes and next season we will see what happens.”
City face Tottenham in the FA Cup fourth round on Friday but Guardiola said Erling Haaland will not make his comeback against Ange Postecoglou’s team.
“He is on the verge of coming back,” he said. “Tomorrow he is not ready but he is close. He trained, he is not perfect and we will wait.”
