Arteta declines to criticise Man City despite guilty verdict

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Mikel Arteta has refused to criticise Manchester City despite the club being found guilty of 114 financial rule breaches, insisting he will “respect the process” until the matter is fully resolved through City's ongoing appeal.

The verdict, delivered during the international break, found City guilty of using what an independent commission described as “sham” contracts and disguised funding amounting to more than £900m over a nine-year period between 2009 and 2018. City have launched an appeal and maintain their innocence, with manager Enzo Maresca stating his full trust in the club's ownership and his belief that City will clear their name.

Arteta's City ties

Arteta's connection to City runs deep. He worked as Pep Guardiola's assistant coach at the Etihad between 2016 and 2019, forming part of the coaching staff that oversaw two Premier League title wins during that spell before leaving to take charge at Arsenal.

Asked directly about the guilty verdict in his press conference, Arteta was measured in his response. “I fully understand the question, but I will respect the process, it is still an ongoing process that is not resolved because it has been appealed,” he said. “My position and the club's position is not to make any further comment until it is resolved. We're preparing to play Leeds and be in the best condition and that's what we'll do tomorrow.”

It is worth noting that Arseblog, the source of these comments, issued a correction after the BBC had wrongly attributed quotes about “trusting the club” to Arteta, when they in fact belonged to Maresca.

Contract extension context

Arteta was also asked about his new four-year contract extension, which would keep him at Arsenal for at least a decade if he sees it through, a deal he put pen to paper on this week. The 44-year-old is already the longest-serving manager across all four English divisions and retains the full backing of the club's hierarchy following last season's Premier League title win.

“My family and I, we're very grateful to be able to enjoy this unbelievable right to continue,” he said. “I said from the beginning that me and the club wanted the same thing but I loved the way it was handled. The most important thing is at the end, when you're about to sign, looking around the room and seeing excitement in their eyes.”

He credited Stan and Josh Kroenke, along with Richard Garlick, James King and sporting director Andrea Berta, for how the process was handled. “Now I have to earn the right every single day to continue at this level, and make the most of it,” he added.

Arsenal, the defending champions, currently sit three points behind Manchester City in the table having been beaten by Brighton in their last outing. Attention now turns to Leeds, with the City verdict set to remain a background story until the appeal process concludes.