Rodri has broken his silence after Manchester City were found guilty on all but one of the Premier League’s 115 charges by an independent panel. The charges cover a nine-year period from 2009 to 2018, and the Premier League has not yet decided on sanctions.
Rodri's defence of City
Speaking to Metro, Rodri said: “We have faced something similar back in 2020, we’ve had a similar judicial process, a different accusation but similar process, and in the first instance we were found guilty but we believed in the club, we believed in the innocence that the club maintained and we ended up being acquitted, so I believe in the justice system and I believe in the innocence of the club.”
He added to the Daily Mail: “We will believe the club. I have been there and I know how they work and how they cooperate.”
That UEFA case matters here because it is the precedent Rodri is leaning on. In 2020, City were banned from competing in Europe for two seasons before CAS overturned the ban and reduced the €30 million (£25m) fine to €10 million (£8.9m).
Rodri also said: “We had a lot of success over the years and I can tell you that everything was deserved and I am glad I could live one of the best eras in English football.”
The sanctions still to come
City's punishment has not been decided, so the verdict is not the end of the story. A points deduction, financial penalty or even relegation has all been mentioned as possible outcomes.
Rodri’s response is defiant rather than cautious, and it fits the stance City have held since February 2023. The club said through a spokesperson that its position remained unchanged while the process continued.
The immediate next step is the Premier League’s sanctions decision, and until that lands, the guilty finding remains a verdict without a penalty attached.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →
