Football fans wee shocked on Friday when the Premier League announced that Everton would be receiving a 10-point deduction after being found guilty of breaching Financial Fair Play rules. The Toffees were 14th in the league but a deduction has seen them drop into the relegation zone, only ahead of 20th-placed Burnley due to their superior goal difference.
All attention now turns to Manchester City's ongoing investigation. The reigning champions were charged back in February after allegedly breaching the league’s financial rules over 100 times between 2009 and 2018.
City have strongly denied the charges with the investigation still ongoing. If found guilty, it remains to be seen what exactly the punishment would be, with a points deduction and even relegation a possibility.
With City currently leading the league ahead of the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur, we've taken a look at everything Pep Guardiola has said about the charges below.
Immediate reaction
City received a two-year ban from European competitions for breaching UEFA's FFP regulations back in 2020, a verdict that was eventually overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Guardiola references this in his immediate reaction to the Premier League claims.
"The club proved they were completely innocent," said Guardiola in February. "What's happened since Monday is the same as what happened with UEFA.
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"We have already been condemned. You have to understand that 19 teams in the Premier League are accusing us without us having the ability to defend.
"We are lucky we live in a marvellous country where everyone is innocent until proven guilty. We didn't have this opportunity, we are already sentenced.
"I am fully convinced we will be [proven] innocent."
Guardiola gets impatient
The City boss also has consistently remained adamant that he won't be leaving the Etihad Stadium. "I will stay next season," Guardiola said in May.
"I will stay. When 100 breaches from the Premier League against us, don't worry, we will be there."
But the former Bayern Munich head coach made sure to mention that he wants the Premier League to swiftly come to a decision regarding City's FFP investigation "What I would like is for the Premier League, or the judges, to make [a decision] as soon as possible," Guardiola added.
"Maybe we did something wrong, everyone will know it, and if we are like we believe we are, like we have done as a club for many years in the right way, then the people stop talking about that. We would love it tomorrow.
"Hopefully they are not so busy, and judges can see it and listen to both sides, and at the end decide what is the best. Because in the end I know firmly that what we won on the pitch we deserve it, I don't have any doubts."
Asked if it had been a frustrating wait, Guardiola continued: "We accept it is there. If it happens, it happens. So let's go. Come on, 24 hours, let's go, sit down, talk, both sides, lawyers present, don't wait one year, three years, why not do it quickly?
"Come on. As soon as possible, for the benefit of everyone. But I know there are many cases around the world, injustices. Hopefully we can do it as soon as possible."
