'That can't be taken away from you' - Manuel Pellegrini has backed Man City amid FFP charges

Manuel Pellegrini has defended Manchester City's spending and hit back at claims they should be stripped of their titles following alleged breaches of financial regulations.

City were charged by the Premier League with over 100 alleged financial breaches last month, following a four-year investigation into activity spanning as far back as 2009. City are alleged to have breached league rules requiring provision “in utmost good faith” of “accurate financial information that gives a true and fair view of the club’s financial position” - claims the club strongly denies.

Everton were hit with a 10-point deduction last week for breaching FFP rules with the club set to appeal the decision. They also hinted that they would use the outcome of the investigation into City to form their response.

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The span of City investigation covers Pellegrini's three seasons in charge at the Etihad between 2013 and 2016, a spell in which the Chilean won the Premier League in his first season as well as two League Cups. And he believes the prospect of stripping previous titles would be unjust and that criticism of his former side's spending is unfair, given other Premier League clubs have also spent huge money.

“The criticism is unfair,” Pellegrini told the Guardian. “If there had been an astronomical difference, then maybe, but Chelsea were spending a fortune, Manchester United were spending a fortune, Liverpool, Arsenal. When I arrived, Txiki [Begiristain] and Ferran [Soriano] hadn’t been there long.

"The work City did was very good; it’s not just related to money. For