Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique voiced support for Manchester City on Tuesday, expressing hope that the club will not face penalties such as having titles revoked after being found guilty of violating Premier League financial regulations.
City, which is set to play PSG at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday, could be subject to sanctions ranging from significant fines and points deductions to expulsion from England's top flight. The club has also faced calls to be stripped of trophies won during a nine-year period where its revenue was allegedly inflated by over $1 billion.
"I hope everything works out well for Man City because I think what they have done on the pitch has been incredible over the last few years and they certainly deserved to win all the trophies they have won," Luis Enrique stated ahead of the Champions League match. "The trophies you win on the pitch remain on the pitch. They deserved to win that and I hope they can avoid the sanction. But now we have to wait to see what the authorities decide or the judge is going to say."
City, owned by Abu Dhabi interests, and PSG, which is Qatari-backed, have both previously faced sanctions from European governing body UEFA for breaches of Financial Fair Play regulations. City is accused of submitting misleading financial information between 2009 and 2018, a period during which it secured three titles. The club has appealed the verdict.
Manchester City defender Ruben Dias commented that the players are maintaining their focus on the field, a mindset that was evident in their recent 3-0 victory over Liverpool. "I feel like when you build yourself as a player, you build yourself against any kind of noise," Dias said. "Personally, and I really feel like I speak for the whole group, we’re very calm. We trust the club, we’re very calm and we’re very focused on enjoying football."