Former Manchester City midfielder Rodri has declared his ongoing trust in the club’s financial integrity, stating he will believe they are innocent unless proven otherwise. The Premier League recently found the club guilty of violating the majority of the 115 financial regulations they were charged with breaching, a decision Manchester City is prepared to appeal.
Addressing the media ahead of Spain’s UEFA Nations League fixture against England at Wembley Stadium, the 30-year-old midfielder, who transferred to Barcelona in August, stood firmly behind his former employers. He highlighted the consistent message of innocence delivered by the club’s leadership to the players during his tenure.
“They always express the confidence that they never did something wrong and we believe in that,” Rodri remarked, adding that the squad will continue to stand by the organization unless definitive proof emerges to the contrary.
The 2020 Precedent
To explain the unwavering confidence shared by the players, Rodri pointed to the club’s successful legal battle in 2020. During that period, UEFA had handed Manchester City a two-year suspension from European football tournaments over separate Financial Fair Play allegations, which was later overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
“We had the example of 2020 that the process was the same and at the end nothing happened,” Rodri explained. He noted that while the specific charges differed, the sequence of events was highly comparable, starting with an initial guilty verdict followed by a complete acquittal on appeal.
The Spanish international, who logged 298 matches for Manchester City between 2018 and 2026, expressed full confidence in the legal systems handling the dispute and reiterated his faith in the club’s defense.
Achievements On the Pitch
During the timeframe scrutinized by the Premier League’s investigation, the Manchester club secured eight major honors. This silverware collection features three Premier League titles, three League Cups, an FA Cup, and a Community Shield.
Rodri dismissed suggestions that the club could be stripped of these honors as a consequence of the regulatory findings. He argued that the achievements on the pitch were earned through hard work and cannot be erased by external administrative decisions.
“What we did, they cannot take from us,” he insisted, describing the triumphs as the result of daily collective sacrifice rather than financial advantages. He expressed pride in participating in one of the most remarkable eras of English football, asserting that every trophy was fully earned. And I’m glad that I could live one of the best eras of English football in here, i can tell you that everything was deserved.
Political Figures Call for Caution
The situation has also drawn comments from political figures. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has cautioned the public against making rushed judgments regarding the club’s future and the gravity of the charges.
Speaking to ITV Granada, Burnham emphasized the necessity of reviewing the findings thoroughly. He urged observers to study the independent commission’s comprehensive report in great detail before arriving at any definitive opinions on the matter, noting that the long-standing dispute has been highly contested by both sides.
