Pep Guardiola said he was "incredibly happy" but said Tuesday that Manchester City deserved an "apology" after the lifting of the ban on participation in the next two European cups by the Arbitral Tribunal for Sport (CAS), a decision criticized by rival coaches José Mourinho and Jürgen Klopp.
“I am incredibly happy with this decision. This shows that everything people said about the club was not true, Guardiola said at a pre-match press conference on Tuesday. We should be apologized. If we had done something wrong, we would absolutely accept the decisions of UEFA and the CAS. "
Manchester City will be able to participate in the next Champions League via @ 20minutesSport https://t.co/YPOD5mqN0k
- 20 Minutes Sport (@ 20minutesSport) July 13, 2020The body based in Lausanne (Switzerland) canceled Monday in appeal the suspension of two years of European competitions inflicted in Manchester City by UEFA last February for non-compliance with the rules of financial fair play. “No one can understand how difficult it was for the club to be suspected. Now that we have proven in court (our innocence), we return to the field, "said the Catalan technician.
José Mourinho, Tottenham coach and eternal rival of Pep Guardiola, assured that the CAS decision was a "disaster" which brought about the end of financial fair play. "It is a shameful decision, because if Manchester City is not guilty, then being punished with a few million is a shame. If you are not guilty, you are not punished. On the other hand, if you are guilty, you should be banned, so it is also a shameful decision. In any case, the decision is a disaster, "said the Portuguese.
Klopp happy… because the Citizens will not have a less busy calendar
"I really believe that financial fair play is dead," he added, saying that "the new club owners will have the feeling that this circus has opened the door, so let's go and enjoy it." Liverpool coach Jürgen Klopp also commented on the CAS decision. "I don't wish anything bad for anyone but I don't think it's a good day for football. Financial fair play is a good idea and it was there to protect the teams and the competition, "said Klopp.
The German hopes that the Citizens' participation in the next Champions League campaign will help his team to maintain its Premier League title. "Personally, I am happy that Manchester City can participate in the Champions League next season, because if they have twelve fewer games (in the group stage), I see no chance for the other teams to win the Premier League "Summarized the former coach of Borussia Dortmund.
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- Pep Guardiola
- Financial fair play
- Manchester City
- Champions League
- Soccer
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