Mikel Arteta has reacted to Manchester City‘s guilty verdict after breaching Premier League rules.
It was announced over the international break that an independent commission deemed Man City guilty of 114 financial rule breaches, with the club using “sham” contracts and disguised funding that amounted to more than £900m over a nine-year period between 2009 and 2018.
City continue to plead their innocence and have launched an appeal against the verdict, with manager Enzo Maresca stating his full trust in the owners and insisting the club will clear their name by winning the appeal process.
Arteta worked as Pep Guardiola’s assistant coach at City between 2016 and 2019, and was part of the coaching staff that oversaw two Premier League titles during that time. The first of these triumphs came in 2017/18, at the tail-end the period of breaches.
Arteta said: "I fully understand the question, but obviously I think it's very important that we respect the process and the timelines. It's still an ongoing process that is not resolved, because it's been appealed, and my position, and the club's position, is not to make any further comments until this is fully resolved.
"Again, as I said, I understand the question where they're coming from. It's a lot of noise around it. It's an ongoing process that is not resolved yet and I think we need to respect it and certainly I have to respect that."
City CEO Ferran Sorriano branded the verdict as a “Premier League conspiracy theory” in a leaked video message to club staff with the club remaining defiant against claims of wrongdoing.
Asked if the verdict with inspire current league leaders City in their title push, Arteta replied: "I don't know, that's something that's not in our hands. In our hands it's the way we have prepared, since all the internationals are back, to be in the best possible condition, to be better than Leeds tomorrow and beat them. That's where the focus has been."
Arteta will manage his first match since penning a contract extension with the Gunners until 2030 earlier this week, hosting Leeds in Saturday’s early kick-off.
"My family are 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.
"I think it is really important. I always said that when you're negotiating and trying to figure out the future, the most important thing is at the end when you're about to sign the deal and looking at everyone in the room and seeing so many smiley faces and excitement in their eyes."
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