Joe Hart says he has no reason to doubt Khaldoon Al Mubarak after the Man City chairman reiterated the club’s innocence amid the continuing Premier League financial case.
The former City goalkeeper has largely stayed away from the debate surrounding the charges but made his position clear in a wide-ranging BBC Sport interview.
Hart puts his trust in Khaldoon
He spent a decade at City and was part of the side that won the club’s first Premier League title in 2012. Asked about the financial case and the arguments that have followed it, he said he had deliberately avoided becoming consumed by the debate.
“I’ve heard everyone else go down every single rabbit hole, every single wormhole, every single discussion,” Hart said.
His own position rests largely on what Al Mubarak has told supporters.
“My honest opinion is I’ve got no reason not to trust Khaldoon. What he said is enough for me,” he said.
Al Mubarak wrote directly to City supporters following reports of the independent commission’s findings, insisting that the Premier League process still has “a long way to run” and that the club’s confidence in proving its innocence remains unchanged.
Hart said the chairman’s message struck a chord with him.
“I loved how he spoke. Loved the letter because that was from someone who cared about the club,” he said.
It is a personal expression of trust rather than Hart claiming any inside knowledge of the case. City’s former goalkeeper did, however, make clear that he remains comfortable with what he achieved during his time at the Etihad.
Hart remains proud of his Man City career
He made 348 appearances for City in all competitions and was the club’s first-choice goalkeeper during a period in which he won two Premier League titles, an FA Cup and two League Cups.
Asked whether the financial case had changed how he regarded those achievements, Hart was unequivocal.
“If Man City are found guilty, which I don’t think they are because of what Khaldoon said, then there’s conversations to be had,” he said.
“But right now I’m very confident and very, very calm. I’m very proud of what I’ve achieved and what I did with Manchester City and what we achieved as a team. And that doesn’t change. That doesn’t change until you tell me.”
Hart’s argument is based on what he experienced as a player rather than the accounting and regulatory issues at the centre of the Premier League proceedings.
“I did what I did. Lined up 11 v 11 and had it out on the pitch. I won some games, lost some games, drew some games, and I shook hands, and I walked off,” he said.
“I know what I did, I know what we did, and I know how it happened. It didn’t feel like we were scheming or plotting.”
His decade at City coincided with a transformative period in the club’s history, although some of their most memorable Premier League moments pre-date his arrival, including the remarkable comeback against Tottenham in 2004.
City maintain legal process isn’t over
Hart’s comments come after reports concerning the independent commission that considered the Premier League charges against City.
The club has responded by stressing that the process is not finished. In his letter to supporters, Al Mubarak said City’s “confidence and intent in proving the Club’s innocence is just as strong as when this began”.
City’s accompanying statement said the Premier League process “remains ongoing, with significant elements to be completed” and referred supporters back to its original February 2023 statement.
That context is important when considering Hart’s comments. He isn’t offering a legal assessment or claiming knowledge of evidence unavailable to the public; he is explaining why he continues to trust a chairman he knows from his years at the club.
Hart sees the legal dispute and his own playing career as separate issues. Until the process reaches its conclusion, he remains proud of what he and his team-mates achieved on the pitch and is prepared to take Al Mubarak at his word.
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