“Respect the procedure” – Guardiola hits back at UEFA president after Man City comments made this week

Man City manager Pep Guardiola has hit back at UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin after he made comments related to the Premier League champions’ 115 financial charges this week.

The Manchester club are awaiting their hearing over the Premier League’s allegations and if found guilty, City could be fined, given a points deduction, relegated or stripped of some of their titles. According to the Daily Mail, a verdict would be likely around the summer of 2025.

Speaking about those charges this week, Ceferin said that UEFA were correct to give Man City a two-year suspension from European competitions due to breaking financial regulations, a ban that the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned in 2020.

“We know we were right,” the UEFA president told the Daily Telegraph. “We wouldn’t decide if we didn’t think we were right.”

Following these comments, Pep Guardiola has hit back at Ceferin by essentially telling the UEFA man to keep quiet.

“As a lawyer he should wait, and after he can do whatever he wants,” the Man City manager said via The Independent.

“Whatever sentence there is about UEFA he has to respect it. He has a lot to do at UEFA. A lawyer should respect the procedure. He knows we have the right to defend ourselves, it’s the only thing I can say.”