Pep Guardiola has made his position clear as Manchester City move into the appeal process after the guilty verdict. "I am here, more than ever," he said, and the message from a manager who has been at the club for ten years was about loyalty, not distance.

Guardiola told Foot Mercato he supports the club, the owner, the president, Ferran Soriano, the players, the staff, Enzo Maresca and the supporters. He also said, "We are going to get through this challenge together."

Guardiola's public backing

The strongest part of his comments was how wide he cast that support. Guardiola did not just defend the club, he named the people around it, from Soriano to the supporters, and said he would always stand with them.

That sits against a strong league start on the pitch. City are top of the Premier League after five matches, with 15 points, 13 goals scored and five conceded. They have won their last five league games, so the football side of the operation remains stable while the appeal runs.

The appeal timetable

Sky Sports said the appeal has to be done and dusted in 12 weeks, with a five-day hearing that must take place in one block. Kaveh Solhekol added that the appeal panel has to be a different three-person panel from the original panel, and it then has 30 days to deliver a judgement.

That speed matters because the club's response is now moving on a compressed Premier League schedule. Solhekol also said the new timeline was introduced this season, although City could argue it should not apply here because the case has been going on for years.

The separate disciplinary backdrop is older. Sky Sports said the independent commission found City guilty of breaking Premier League financial rules between 2009 and 2018. Previous UEFA punishment is part of the history around the club, but this appeal is its own process and the club has already said it will pursue the available avenues.

The immediate fact is simple enough. Guardiola is publicly backing City, and the appeal clock is already running.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →