Premier League managers have largely avoided making strong comments after Manchester City was found guilty of breaching the majority of the 115 financial rules brought against the club, with the champions appealing the verdict.
Coventry City manager Frank Lampard, who spent the 2014/15 season at Manchester City, said he would wait for the outcome of the club’s appeal before forming a stronger opinion on the case.
Also read: Bigi, Fearless take Soundcity OnTour to FUNAAB
“We’ve all seen the news, it’s obviously big news, Man City are appealing. I guess my reaction is that, right?” Lampard said.
“What can you say when an appeal is going on? I’m not inside the story, I’m outside it completely. I played for Man City a long time ago now, for one year. We’ll wait and see what the result of the appeal is and onwards. I don’t know the timelines at all.”
Lampard also stressed that his focus remained on his current responsibilities, while acknowledging the scale and quality of the Manchester City squad.
“I have this job and my, not problems, but things I need to work on and I always respect a manager for whatever situation, there are a lot of things you don’t know,” he added.
Leeds United boss Daniel Farke was similarly reluctant to offer an opinion, insisting that others were better placed to discuss the legal and financial implications of the case.
“Not my topic. My topic is football. There are more qualified people to speak on this,” Farke said.
“It makes no sense if right now everyone wants to have an opinion about this topic. There are more qualified people to talk about this. It’s nothing to do with me, I was not involved in the title race during those years.”
The verdict has renewed scrutiny on Manchester City as the Premier League prepares to return this weekend.
City manager Enzo Maresca is due to face the media on Friday ahead of the club’s trip to Liverpool, with the financial case expected to feature prominently during his press conference.
Maresca appeared relaxed earlier in the week as he arrived for training, while several members of the squad were also seen reporting for duty.
Also read: Bigi, Fearless take Soundcity OnTour to FUNAAB
Sunday’s meeting with Liverpool could therefore provide the first major public test of the atmosphere around City following the verdict, with attention likely to remain fixed on the club’s appeal and its potential implications.
