Man City found guilty: Aston Villa boss Unai Emery weighs in on 114 Premier League charges verdict

By Darren Plant | 02 Oct 2026 16:02, Last updated: 02 Oct 2026 16:11

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has suggested that he was not surprised to see Manchester City found guilty of breaching Premier League financial regulations.

Earlier this week, it was confirmed that Man City had been found guilty of arranging "sham" contracts to disguise secret funding of more than £830m, something which enabled the club to comply with the relevant rules with regards to spending in the transfer market.

In response, Man City have officially confirmed that they will appeal the decision, likely extending the process for at least a few months.

From the perspective of Aston Villa, they have been severely hampered in the transfer market due to the necessity of complying with the Premier League's and UEFA's profit and sustainability rules.

Therefore, the information that has come to light over the past week was naturally of particular interest to Aston Villa and Emery.

With Villa due to face Sevilla in a friendly on Friday, Emery and his squad are in Spain, and it has given him a chance to speak to the media in his homeland.

As quoted by Mundo Deportivo, Emery has indicated that he was not surprised by the current verdict, yet admitted that he had a certain level of sympathy for Pep Guardiola.

He said: "It is an issue that was already known.  We all have our restrictions; we have to sell players to comply with Financial Fair Play, and we have to figure out how to structure contracts for new signings.

"Fair Play seeks financial balance so that spending aligns with revenue and inflation is avoided. Yes, many other clubs have inflated their budgets, and now it’s coming to light, and naturally, there is a decline."

Emery added: "That is something for the courts and the authorities to decide.

"I feel bad about it, given how that team played. Under Guardiola, there were times when they were unbeatable."

With Man City having indicated that they will appeal Tuesday's official verdict, all involved will go through a period of uncertainty.

While the level of reports on the matter may decrease, Enzo Maresca and his Man City squad will naturally have to cope with questioning and scrutiny on the matter when they resume their Premier League duties.

Unless Arsenal beat Leeds United by a five-goal margin on the preceding day, Man City will take to the pitch against Liverpool at Anfield on October 11 sitting top of the Premier League table.

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