SoccerSep 26
Rodri backs Manchester City amid financial case uncertainty
The former City midfielder maintains his faith in the club’s innocence and says the team’s achievements were earned through collective effort.
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Rodri stands behind City
Rodri has defended Manchester City as the club faces the prospect of being found guilty of most of the Premier League’s 115 charges over alleged financial rule breaches. Speaking at Wembley on Friday, the former City midfielder said his confidence in the club remained intact. He described repeated assurances from club officials that they had acted properly and said those conversations had given players little reason to worry. City did not deny reports of an expected adverse outcome. The Premier League declined to comment, citing the confidentiality of the proceedings. The charges concern a period before Rodri arrived at the club in 2019.
Past appeal shapes his confidence
Rodri pointed to City’s previous dispute with UEFA in 2020, when a ban from European competition was overturned on appeal. He recalled that the club had urged players to remain calm during that process and said his familiarity with its staff underpinned his continuing belief in its innocence. He also acknowledged that football clubs must comply with the rules, while stressing that City’s leadership had consistently maintained it had done nothing wrong.
Success defended ahead of Spain duty
Rodri spent seven years at City before moving to Barcelona this summer. The 2024 Ballon d’Or winner collected four Premier League titles with City between 2020 and 2024, alongside the 2023 Champions League. He argued that those achievements reflected the work of the players, Pep Guardiola and the wider club staff. In his view, their effort and togetherness remained meaningful regardless of the debate surrounding the case. Rodri is due to captain world champions Spain against England at Wembley on Saturday in the UEFA Nations League.
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