1. Carrick ‘personally’ affected by verdict
Michael Carrick has said retrospectively receiving a winner’s medal would not make up for being robbed of emotional moments of glory by Manchester City’s breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules.
Manchester United’s manager was part of the squad that lost out on the Premier League title to City on the final day of the 2011-12 season when Sergio Agüero scored a last-minute winner to secure top spot on goal difference. Carrick and his United teammates were left solemn on the touchline at Sunderland while City, who have been found guilty of breaking financial rules during a nine-year-period between 2009 and 2018, celebrated.
“The emotion, the feeling about winning, a lot of it is in the moment,” Carrick said. “Whether you’re successful, whether you lose, whether it goes against you, that initial [feeling], the beauty of sport and the beauty of football and the beauty of trying to win trophies here, is a little bit on the journey towards it and then the finale, and does it go for you, does it go against you.
“Once that’s done, there’s no getting that back in any direction. The feeling we all crave is coming out on top – that kind of sums it up. Whatever’s done in the past tense is in the past, but in that moment is how you feel in that moment. Certainly as a participant, as a performer, and I’m sure the supporters feel the same, that’s why we love it so much because of the emotion in the moment.”
Carrick was also part of United’s staff under Ole Gunnar Solskjær when they finished second, 22 points behind City, in 2021. City continue to plead their innocence and have appealed against the verdict. If they fail to overturn the independent commission’s ruling, they will probably face a serious punishment.
“It’s affected me personally in different ways,” Carrick said. “But as the case is ongoing now I don’t know where that stands and how it’s going to end up, so we’ll just have to wait and see. What I will say, the sooner it gets sorted I think for everyone’s benefit is essential.” Will Unwin
2. Iraola understands Liverpool fan anger
Andoni Iraola understands the anger among Liverpool supporters towards Manchester City and believes the Premier League needs a resolution to the scandal engulfing English football as swiftly as possible.
Iraola avoided condemning City during his first press conference since the club were found guilty of breaching Premier League financial rules on an industrial scale over nine years. City have lodged an appeal against the findings and Liverpool’s head coach admitted a final, definitive verdict is essential for the good of the game. “I think it should be [concluded quickly],” he said. “There should be a moment when something comes from this, but now is not that moment. Nobody knows what is going to happen and I think this uncertainty is no good for anyone.”
While refusing to be drawn on the controversy while the legal process is ongoing, Iraola acknowledged the strength of feeling that will be directed at City by Liverpool fans at Anfield on Sunday. City pipped Liverpool to the Premier League title in 2013-14, 2018-19 and 2021-22, the latter two during the fierce rivalry that developed between Jürgen Klopp’s and Pep Guardiola’s teams. Sunday’s reception for the current league leaders promises to be brutal.
“We understand and I understand everything that goes above football,” said Iraola. “Every fan will have their own opinion and attitude towards that but it’s not something that I can control. I need to do my job, to give the best game we can give on the sporting side, so everyone of our supporters is happy on Sunday. I think the challenge of the game for us is big.”
Liverpool’s task on Sunday, as Iraola referenced, will be complicated by the absence of leading goalscorer Alexander Isak and the in-form Cody Gakpo due to injuries sustained on international duty. The two are not long-term absentees but, with Liverpool facing four games in 10 days, they could miss several matches. He admitted: “It’s a bad thing for us, definitely, because both of them have been prolific at the start of the season but the good thing when you coach Liverpool is you still have very good players available. I trust the players we have ready to go. It’s also a good moment for those players to step up, to add good numbers and good performances while we recover Cody and Alex.” Andy Hunter
3. Kompany ‘really proud’ of City medals
Vincent Kompany, the former Manchester City captain, insists he is still “really proud” of his success with the club after it was found guilty of breaching Premier League financial rules. The Bayern Munich manager won four Premier League titles and multiple domestic cups during his spell at City from 2008 to 2019.
The former Belgium international was a key figure in City’s dominant era under their Abu Dhabi-based owners and is honoured with a statue outside the Etihad Stadium.
“I played 11 years for the club. I’ve loved all of the years I played for the club and everything we achieved and [did] on the pitch – that’s something I’m really proud of,” Kompany said.
Kompany signed for City from Hamburg just weeks before Sheikh Mansour completed a takeover that turned the club from also-rans to serial winners. Asked about the off-pitch issues at his former club, he said: “Everything else, as a player you’re not a part of that and right now as a coach of Bayern Munich I’m not too much occupied with that topic. I’m preparing the game next week and preparing the game we have tomorrow and everything I have as a coach.” Agence France-Presse
4. Arteta will wait for judgment before speaking
Mikel Arteta has insisted his conscience is clear about his time as Manchester City’s assistant manager and promised to “talk with clarity” about his former club when their appeal against a guilty verdict on more than 100 Premier League’s charges has been decided.
Arteta spent more than three years as Pep Guardiola’s assistant at City before moving to Arsenal in December 2019. The Spaniard, who signed a lucrative new four-year contract this week, moved to the Etihad in July 2016 and was part of Guardiola’s backroom staff as they won titles in 2018 and 2019.
The first came during the period in which City breached financial regulations, according to an independent commission. Arteta was reluctant to discuss any potential punishment City could face but was asked whether his conscience was clear from his spell at City and responded: “Yes.”
That was as far as he was prepared to venture after being bombarded with questions about City before Arsenal’s game against Leeds on Saturday. Arteta had been due to deliver a statement at the start of his press conference but the plan changed at the last minute. He refused to be drawn on how he felt when he heard the verdict or whether the uncertainty it had created would have a long-term impact on the Premier League’s brand.
“I want to think that it doesn’t, but I don’t know,” he said. “Uncertainty is not in our control and our control is to bring everything that we can individually through the club to maintain the position that we have to be the best league in the world.”
Arteta added: “The thing is that this has been going for various years. That process is still not finished. So it is very difficult to express how I feel, because it is not resolved. When it is resolved I can talk with clarity and tell you exactly how I feel.”
It is understood Arsenal and other Premier League clubs are keen for the situation to be resolved as quickly as possible, although City’s appeal means it could drag on until at least the new year. Arteta also dismissed suggestions Arsenal could be the main beneficiaries should City find themselves relegated, having finished as runners up to them three years in a row before becoming champions last season.
“I think we control our accelerator, and believe me, for seven years it’s been full gas in everything that we can do and take in every corner at maximum speed,” he said. Ed Aarons
5. De Zerbi: my problem is being bottom, not City
Roberto De Zerbi insists he has no time to dwell on Manchester City’s guilty verdict with Tottenham bottom of the table. De Zerbi was a Napoli player when they faced Juventus in the 2006-07 season after Juve were found guilty of match-fixing and relegated to Serie B.
Juventus had an initial 30-point deduction reduced to nine and still won promotion straight back to Serie A. Asked what the experience was like, De Zerbi replied: “I was crazy as a player, I don’t remember my thoughts, just think on the ball, just think on our job.
“When you are a player, you don’t think too much. When you are a coach, the same because the focus is on your players, especially now because we are on the bottom of the table. I have no time to think of the other problems than my team, my club.”
The Spurs manager said the scandal did not change Italian football, and added: “There are the people who have to decide to take the decision, with responsibility, with courage, and honesty, always. It’s not my job. My job is to be a coach. But I love respecting the rules, like all people in our club.”
Dejan Kulusevski is on the verge of returning after more than 500 days out with a complex knee injury. The forward will travel to Manchester for Sunday’s crunch match against United to support the team as he closes in on a comeback.
De Zerbi told his squad in a meeting that Kulusevski had set an example to them. “He’s an inspiration,” he said. “He reacted very well, with character, with courage, with passion.”
De Zerbi said the first week of the three-week international break had been particularly “tough” and that he suffered “a lot”. The 47-year-old took a short holiday but was unable to switch off.
“If you work with passion and work like me, you can’t go home and forget your work, especially in this type of moment – it’s inside you,” he said.
He believes Spurs can replicate Aston Villa, who failed to win any of their first five Premier League games last season before winning 12 of their next 13 and qualifying for the Champions League.
“It’s possible. Why not? But to do what Villa did, we have to click. But I think the first win is not a gift from God. You have to deserve to win. And we didn’t deserve to win so far.” Sam Cunningham
