Haaland Tells Man City to 'Stick Together' Before Liverpool Trip, Their First Match Since Guilty Verdict

Since an independent commission found Manchester City guilty of serious breaches of Premier League financial rules about two weeks ago, the club has been in limbo. Thursday, Oct. 8, brought the first public comments from its star striker, with a hostile test at Liverpool three days away.

Haaland spoke to Sky Sports and the club's website. His message was short.

"We have to stick together. We have to stay with each other, and we have to stay positive," he said. "No matter what happens in life, we always have to have a smile."

He added: "I care a lot about City, I have to say. I care a lot about the fans because I'm a fan myself, and I feel with them as well."

What the commission found

The commission found City guilty on all charges, more than 100 in total. It found that between 2009/10 and 2017/18 the club arranged "sham" contracts with commercial partners as part of a "disguised funding scheme" that artificially inflated revenue by £830 million. AFP puts the combined effect on revenue and costs at more than £900 million ($1.2 billion). The charges also cover City's failure to co-operate with the investigation.

City reject the ruling. In a statement the club said it is "innocent," called the judgment "opinion," and said it "contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact and is unsafe." The appeal has been lodged. City's chairman has said he is confident of proving the club's innocence.

If the verdict stands, City could face a points deduction, fines or relegation.

A squad that wasn't there

Haaland joined City in 2022, long after the period at issue, but the current squad is the one that could carry any sanction. The Irish Times reports that players sought reassurances over the past fortnight, and most only returned to the club on Thursday after international duty.

Haaland signed a contract through 2034 last year. He has 169 goals in 205 games for City. AFP reports that his future is likely to depend on the severity of any sanction, and that Europe's top clubs would line up for the 26-year-old if City dropped out of the Premier League or lost Champions League football for a prolonged spell.

Maresca, who took over from Pep Guardiola in the summer, said he is "very calm" and that the club has been "quite clear." "We trust completely the club," he said. "We understand the noise but the focus for us is just what we can control and we can control just the football side." He said the players are "not worried at all about different things."

On the pitch, City are doing their part. They have won all five league games this season and lead Arsenal, last season's champions, by three points.

Anfield on Sunday

City visit Liverpool on Sunday, Oct. 11, with a 4:30 p.m. UK kickoff live on Sky Sports. Liverpool are sixth, six points behind City, under new manager Andoni Iraola. The Irish Times expects a fiery occasion, with the animosity between the clubs heightened by the judgment.

Supporters of rival clubs have long argued that City's alleged financial wrongdoing amounted to cheating and gave the club a lasting advantage. Liverpool finished one point behind Guardiola's City twice in the years after the period under investigation. Anfield is expected to be louder and angrier than usual.

Haaland said he is looking forward to it. "It's always special to play against Liverpool," he said, recalling watching the Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp era as a young player.

Guardiola's return

Guardiola, now a City Football Group ambassador after 10 years as head coach, is expected to attend City's first home match since the verdict, the Champions League game against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, Oct. 14, according to The Irish Times. It would be his first visit since leaving.

Last week he wrote on social media: "I am, always have been, always will, be behind my club, my owner, my chairman, Ferran [Soriano, the CEO], the players, staff, Enzo [Maresca, the head coach] and you, our unique supporters. Let me be clear: we will get through this together."

Guardiola was regularly asked about City's finances after the club was charged in 2023. He consistently said he believed what he was told by those above him.

José Mourinho, who finished second to Guardiola's City in 2018 while managing Manchester United, joked that he may not live to see the end of City's legal fight.

The sanction is still unresolved. The commission's findings are under appeal, and the penalty, if the verdict holds, has not been set out in public. City play at Anfield on Sunday and host PSG on Oct. 14 without knowing it.