Pep Guardiola has claimed that most Premier League clubs want to see Manchester City relegated – on Day 16 they sided with the league chiefs against the champions.
City are locked in a battle with the top brass after being accused of 115 breaches of financial regulations, with a verdict expected in the new year.
Relegation is a possible punishment if City are found guilty of a serious crime. And Guardiola admitted rivals' assumptions about City's culpability had played a role in his decision this week to extend his contract. “I read something about how we should be relegated immediately,” he said. '75 percent of the clubs want it, because I know what they do behind the scenes and things like that.
'I would rather not be in that position, but once it is there I love it because you believe in your club and the people there. I believe what they say to me (about the alleged violations) and the reasons why. We are waiting for the verdict in February or March.
'What happens if we are relegated? I'll be here. I don't know what position they're going to put us in. The conference?
'But we will come back and come back to the Premier League. I feel it.'
Guardiola spoke out after a Premier League summit in London where clubs approved changes to sponsorship rules despite City's attempts to throw them out. City had argued that the framework around related party transactions – deals that clubs make with companies linked to their owners – was void following a legal challenge they launched which found parts of the regulations unlawful. However, 16 of the 20 clubs voted in favor of the Premier League amendments.
City had threatened legal action if the changes were approved, and that remains their position. They are now awaiting advice from a tribunal in January. If this turns out to be in their favor, the new rules could be torn up.
City had accused the Premier League of rushing through the rule changes and CEO Richard Masters of misleading clubs when he said the proposed changes could be implemented quickly. They had called for a delay until the panel that found parts of the rules unlawful returned with a ruling on whether that meant changes could be made – such as including shareholder loans in the rules – or whether the entire system would have to be rewritten .
Aston Villa publicly backed City, but only Newcastle United and Saudi-owned Nottingham Forest joined
them yesterday, leaving the champions three fewer than needed to block the plans. Manchester United and, perhaps surprisingly, Chelsea spoke in favor of the amendments.
A Premier League statement said: 'At a Premier League shareholders' meeting today, clubs approved changes to the League's Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules.
'The changes to the rules respond to the findings of an arbitration tribunal following a legal challenge by Manchester City against the APT system earlier this year. The purpose of the APT rules is to ensure that clubs cannot benefit from commercial deals or cost reductions that are not at fair market value, based on related party relationships.
'These rules have been introduced to provide a robust mechanism to ensure the financial stability, integrity and competitive balance of the league.'
Meanwhile, the clubs voted unanimously in favor of establishing their own media company in the Premier League. From 2026 to 2027, all international media content production and distribution will be brought in-house, ending a 20-year partnership with IMG.
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