To Pep Guardiola, it’s Man City against the world

The crux of the issue, however, is whether City are guilty and, if so, what is the appropriate punishment. Guardiola is adamant they are not and is concerned they are suffering reputational damage. “Just in case we are not innocent we will accept what the judge in the Premier League decides, but what happens if in the same situation that Uefa happened we are innocent, what happens to restore or pay back our damage?” he asked.

“I would say we are lucky we live in a marvellous country where we have a society where everyone is innocent until proven guilty. We didn’t have this opportunity. We are already sentenced and tough.”

For Guardiola, history is repeating itself. “The same articles, the same accusations, the same everything,” he said. If the manager’s robust rebuttal should reach an appreciative audience in the City fanbase, it reflected the club’s frequent attitude: us against the world.

Guardiola reiterated that he trusts Man City’s owners

The potential punishments, he suggested, could return City to lowlier levels. “We have to be out of the Champions League, now we have to go to League Two or maybe the Conference,” he added. “We are not a team with a long history or titles, we have been in the lower divisions and we will be back there. It’s not a problem just in case. We’ll get Paul Dickov and Mike Summerbee [back] and we will do a good process and will be back. I’m pretty sure.”

When he was Barcelona captain, City were a third-tier team. Dickov and Summerbee form different parts of their past. Each played in periods where City brought entertainment – not always intentionally – and brought them level a popularity among neutrals before their reinvention in the last 15 years. Now the charge is that City cheated to get where they are, to assemble and pay squads brimming with talented players.

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Their resources have been remarkable; so has the manner of some of their triumphs. As Guardiola argued, dramatic ends to seasons have not stemmed from money alone. “[Sergio] Aguero scored a goal to give us the Premier League [in 2012], [Ilkay] Gundogan scored two goals against Aston Villa to win the Premier League some months ago,” he said. “We did it on the pitch. We have to do it off the pitch? OK.”

And, if he is to be vindicated, City may need an Aguero moment in front of the judicial panel.

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