Barcelona star Rodri has become the first former Manchester City player to speak amid reports that the club has been found guilty in 114 of the 115 charges. The Spaniard believes the club has always insisted they did nothing wrong and will stand by that.
Speaking to the media ahead of Spain’s game against England, Rodri said he is confident in the system and still believes his former club is innocent. He stated that several clubs have done similar things to cope with the pressure of modern football and said:
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“I believe in the justice system and I believe in the innocence of the club. They always tell us the confidence they have on the innocence. When you look into someone’s eyes and [they are] talking that way… And we had the example in 2020 and the process was the same, and in the end, nothing happened.”
“We were very calm in this way. You never saw the team nervous about these kinds of things. Nowadays, I’m not going to say it’s going to stay normal, but many teams – or some teams – go through these kinds of situations, and it’s part of football today. And everyone has to follow the rules, and for me, that’s great.” (via M.E.N)
Rodri added that the club officials have always cooperated with the investigation and told the players that they are not guilty of any of the charges. He said:
“I always praise the confidence that they never did something wrong, and we believe in that. [Until] the moment they prove [the club] wrong, we will believe the club. I’ve been there, and I know how they work and how they cooperate, so that’s what I can tell you.”
Rodri left Manchester City for Barcelona in the summer after the FIFA World Cup. He was in talks with Real Madrid but opted to join the Catalan side after club officials convinced him.
Manchester City reportedly found guilty of 114 of their 115 charges
The Premier League charged Manchester City in 2023 with several breaches of their rules. The Cityzens have been under investigation by an independent committee since then, and the judgement is expected soon.
Manchester City are waiting for the sanctions and are expected to appeal any decision. Reports suggest that the Etihad club could face several punishments, including a points deduction, a transfer ban or heavy fines.
The club have always insisted that they are not guilty.
Edited by Sripad