Former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is expected to attend next week's Champions League match against Paris Saint-Germain, marking his first appearance at the Etihad Stadium since departing last summer. His visit coincides with a turbulent period for the club, which were found guilty of multiple Premier League financial rule breaches following a long-running investigation - a decision City have appealed. The club deny all the charges against them.
Guardiola, who steered the club to six Premier League titles and a Champions League during a decorated decade in charge, publicly backed City's board and supporters after the ruling, stating he remains entirely behind the team. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player He is expected to be in attendance on October 14 when Enzo Maresca's side takes on Paris Saint-Germain, shortly after City resume their domestic campaign away at Liverpool, live on Sky Sports. Gary Lineker called on Manchester City to "own" and "accept whatever punishment" they are given for the "good of the game".
City have been accused of breaking financial rules between 2009-10 and 2017-18. An independent commission concluded that more than £830m of owner funding was used to inflate revenues and enable the club to comply with Premier League and UEFA regulations through a series of "sham" arrangements. The club have protested their innocence and appealed.
"Obviously, it looks really bad for Manchester City, and bad for the game, too," former England captain Lineker said. "When they talk about the 'Premier League conspiracy theories', you just think to yourself, 'well, this is actually the last thing in the world that the Premier League would want'. "So, I'd love to see Man City now just own it and just say, 'okay, we got it wrong but for the good of the game, we'll accept it and we'll accept whatever punishment comes our way and we'll carry on'.
"That would be a blessing and save their face a little bit at the moment, although it doesn't look likely." Pressed as to whether City should be stripped of the three league titles they won during that period, 65-year-old Lineker, who was speaking at a Leaders Week conference at Stamford Bridge, said: "I wouldn't be surprised if it goes down that route. But who suffers from that? The players and the fans." Meanwhile, Kyle Walker, who spent eight years at Manchester City - winning the Champions League as well as 12 major domestic honours - before his departure in 2025, said the players will always have the memories of their achievements "whatever happens".
Speaking on talkSPORT, Burnley right-back Walker said: "Obviously it doesn't look great. I know it's in an appeal stage so, for me to start commenting on the legal action and everything like that, probably it's not going to do myself justice or anyone involved in it. "But, at a personal level, I can say the lads, we spent many and many a great year celebrating many trophies and that's something that, whatever happens, they can't take away from us because we've experienced them nights." Walker admitted it is not an easy subject for former City players to discuss.
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