Pep on City hearing: ‘Hopefully it’ll finish soon’

Pep Guardiola has said he wants the hearing over Manchester City‘s alleged breaches of Premier League rules to be concluded quickly.

An independent panel is set to begin hearing evidence on Sep. 16.

It’s expected to last around two months with a final outcome delivered by the end of the current campaign.

And Guardiola says he’s “happy” the process is finally reaching its conclusion after City were initially charged by the Premier League in February 2023.

“I am happy that it starts soon and hopefully it will finish soon, for the benefit of all of us, especially the club but also other Premier League clubs and all the people who don’t wait for the sentence,” Guardiola told a news conference on Friday.

“I wish, from deep in my heart, go to the trial, the independent panel — and I say again, independent panel — and as soon as possible release what happened and we will accept [it] like always we have done.”

City have been charged with more than 100 breaches of financial rules between 2009 and 2018.

The club, who deny any wrongdoing, have also been accused of failing to cooperate with the investigation, which was launched in December 2018.

Potential punishments range from a fine or points deduction to expulsion from the Premier League, but Guardiola insists the hearing and possible ramifications will not distract his players.

“No, we have been talking about that for three or four years,” he said. “We know it [the hearing] is going to happen. We accept it and focus on our matches.”