Maresca: Man City Job Would Have Been Mine Even With Prior Guilty Verdict

Enzo Maresca stated that he would have accepted the Manchester City job even if the club had already been found guilty of serious financial breaches before offering him the position. Maresca expressed defiance following the independent commission's guilty verdict last week, asserting that he will discuss the matter openly once Manchester City successfully appeals the decision.

Club officials held discussions with Maresca regarding their ongoing case, and the manager conveyed his complete trust in the club's ownership and chief executive, Ferran Soriano. "I completely trust the club," Maresca said. "I trust the people and it’s one of the reasons I joined the club. There isn’t another club in the world where I would like to be."

When asked if he would have taken the job had he known about the impending verdict in the Premier League case, Maresca responded, "One hundred per cent. I know the organisation from years ago. I know how serious they are and they do the right things. I want to speak about this when we win the appeal."

Maresca also dismissed the idea that previous titles won by the club, including the Treble campaign during which he served as Pep Guardiola's assistant, have been tarnished by the charges.

Should Manchester City lose their appeal, the Premier League has a range of sanctions available, including potential relegation or expulsion. Maresca, 46, suggested that he would not be deterred by a drop in divisions, citing his past experience.

"I won the Championship with Leicester City," Maresca stated. "So in case we are in League One we will see. But we are thinking about something we don't know. What happens if the appeal is won? I don’t know. We’re predicting the future. I’m worried about tomorrow, two days. It’s fair from my point of view to respect the process."

Maresca and Soriano addressed the City squad upon their return to training on Thursday, with Maresca emphasizing the importance of maintaining focus on upcoming matches. The team's next fixture is against Liverpool on Sunday, a highly anticipated clash at Anfield.

"Anfield is a nice pitch. Probably even more warm in terms of environment but the reason why I decided to be a manager is for this kind of game," Maresca said. "It will be a tough test. We need to be ready. The focus has to be about the game but we know the environment is nice, probably even worse because of the situation."

He expressed confidence in the players' ability to handle the pressure, drawing parallels to other high-stakes environments. "The players can face the pressure, absolutely. They already experienced similar situations. Enzo Fernandez played in Argentina, where almost every game is like going to Anfield. So it’s not a problem."

Maresca stressed the importance of unity, echoing sentiments from Erling Haaland. "It’s a matter of being together, sticking together as Erling (Haaland) said. This is the situation, the noise, but the most important thing is we keep doing the right things. We’re on the same page with the players and CEO. We completely understand the seriousness of the situation. We understand it but it’s our duty to control the noise. You cannot avoid it."

"Viewing the environment inside the building the last two days, I’m not worried at all. It’s nice. We’re top of the league at the moment. The players have all the reason to be happy and excited."