Enzo Maresca singles out reporter in first press conference since Man City guilty verdict and delivers defiant response

Manchester City head coach Enzo Maresca appeared to call out Sky News’ Rob Harris during his first press conference since the club were found guilty of breaching Premier League financial rules.

City will take to the pitch for the first time since the guilty verdict when they face Liverpool at Anfield on October 11, with Maresca’s side looking to maintain their 100 per cent record.

However, a bearpit atmosphere is expected, with Liverpool one of the teams most affected by City’s rise to prominence since the 2008 takeover.

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What did Enzo Maresca say in his press conference?

The charges relate to a nine-year period between 2009 and 2018, during which City won three Premier League titles. Liverpool finished second in 2013/14 under Brendan Rodgers.

Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool would later finish second to Pep Guardiola’s City in the 2018/19 and 2021/22 seasons.

As expected, most questions from reporters at Maresca’s press conference on Friday (October 9) related to the guilty verdict in some way.

The regular City reporters were in attendance, alongside journalists from non-sports outlets, including Sky News’ Harris. Maresca was quick to notice some new faces and spoke directly to him.

Harris asked Maresca three questions:

“You've got the rest of the season to finish and to trust the Premier League. Do you share the view of your CEO that there is a conspiracy against the club by the Premier League?”

“Have you had personal assurances from Sheikh Mansour?”

“And do you have any concerns about Sunday? There's a lot of febrile atmosphere around this game, your bus going to Anfield, the atmosphere around, a lot of anger towards your play- to your- towards your club. Do you fear the anger towards Manchester City could become something more dangerous?”

Maresca replied: “It is the first time I saw your face here. So we don't know each other. But if you ask the guys that are here I'm always concerned, not just Liverpool, I will also be concerned about Ipswich. I know that Anfield is a nice pitch, probably will even more warm in terms of environment but the reason I decide to become manager is for this kind of game.”

Answering the question about personal assurances from Sheikh Mansour, he added: “I spoke with the club for sure. We all trust, and probably the right moment to speak about that is when we are going to win this appeal.”

The former Leicester City boss also made clear that he feels City’s achievements since 2009 are “absolutely not” tainted despite the guilty verdict.

Maresca explained: “The last time I was here was the treble season. I know the effort from the players, from the club, from the manager in that time, that was Pep. So I know exactly the effort that the club put to achieve that kind of target. So I don't have any doubt about that.”

City maintain innocence after guilty verdict

City have appealed the verdict and maintain they have a “comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence that exists” to support their position. A result of the appeal is expected in late December.

Potential punishments if the guilty verdict is upheld include suspension from playing in the league, points deductions, the replaying of matches, expulsion from the league, being ordered to pay compensation to other clubs, automatic relegation and even the stripping of titles.