Rodri backs Manchester City's innocence amid Premier League financial charges
Quick Look
Former Manchester City midfielder Rodri expressed confidence in the club's innocence regarding Premier League financial rule breaches, citing their 2020 CAS acquittal as precedent and asserting that titles won through effort cannot be taken away.
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Why It Matters
Manchester City were previously cleared of Financial Fair Play charges by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in 2020 after an initial UEFA ban from European competitions.
Former Manchester City midfielder Rodri believes the club are innocent of any financial wrongdoing and will continue to trust them unless they are proved otherwise.
City have been found guilty of breaking the majority of the 115 financial rules they were accused of breaching by the Premier League, although they are set to appeal.
Speaking at a news conference before Spain's Uefa Nations League match against England at Wembley the 30-year-old, who joined Barcelona in August, backed City's stance.
"They always express the confidence that they never did something wrong and we believe in that," Rodri said.
"Until the moment they are proved wrong, we will believe the club. They always tell us the confidence they have on the innocence."
City were cleared of separate financial fair play charges by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in 2020, having initially been given a two-year ban from European competitions by Uefa.
Rodri cited the case as a reason for the confidence of the club's players.
"We had the example of 2020 that the process was the same and at the end nothing happened," he explained.
"We have faced something similar, we had a similar judicial process. Different accusation but similar process.
"There as well in the first instance we were found guilty, but we believed in the club and the innocence that the club maintained and in the end we ended up acquitted.
"So, I believe in the justice system, and I believe in the innocence of the club."
The club won eight trophies in the period covered by the Premier League case, including three league titles, three League Cups, one Community Shield and one FA Cup.
Rodri dismissed talk of City being stripped of some of the titles they won as part of any punishment against the club.
"What we did, they cannot take out of us," he added.
"It's something that is not paid by money. It's paid with effort, with the damage, with, you know, being shoulder to shoulder every day.
"I can tell you that everything was deserved, and I'm glad that I could live one of the best eras of English football in here."
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Manchester City will appeal the Premier League's financial rule breach verdict
Very likely · Within weeks
Rodri will continue to support Manchester City unless proven wrong
Likely · Within months
Open Questions
- What specific financial rules did Manchester City breach according to the Premier League?
- When is the appeal hearing scheduled?
- What penalties could Manchester City face if the verdict is upheld?
