We will get through this together, says former City manager Guardiola

Sept 30 : Former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola spoke out in support of the Premier League club on Wednesday after they were found guilty of serious breaches of financial rules.

The Spaniard handed over to former assistant Enzo Maresca at the end of last season after a decade in charge.

"I want every single @ManCity fan to know I am here; more than ever. I am, always have been, always will, be behind my club, my owner, my chairman, Ferran, the players, staff, Enzo and you, our unique supporters. Let me be clear: we will get through this together. I love you all," Guardiola said in a first reaction on his X account.

City's Chief Executive Ferran Soriano addressed staff in a video on Tuesday in which he rejected the  independent commission's findings.

Guardiola took charge of City in 2016 and under his management they won six Premier League titles - including four in a row - three FA Cups, five League Cups and the Champions League.

The Premier League charges, relating to "sham" commercial contracts used as part of schemes to inflate revenue and understate costs by more than £900 million ($1.2 million) over nearly a decade, cover the period from 2009-18.