Pep Guardiola’s extraordinary City legacy has been placed under fresh scrutiny following the independent commission’s guilty verdict.
The former City manager won six Premier League titles during a decade that transformed the club and English football, but The Athletic’s James Horncastle believes the findings inevitably raise questions about how that era will ultimately be remembered.
Guardiola must hope City win appeal
Writing for The Athletic, Horncastle argues that Guardiola must hope City’s appeal ultimately changes the picture, drawing a comparison with the club’s previous UEFA case.
“For the sake of Pep Guardiola’s legacy at Manchester City, he has to hope this goes the same way as the UEFA case,” Horncastle wrote.
City’s two-year European ban was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in 2020, with some alleged breaches found not established and others time-barred.
Horncastle is careful to separate Guardiola’s qualities and the work behind his success from the financial conduct examined by the commission.
“Guardiola’s genius is not in doubt,” he wrote, before arguing that the status of the titles won during the Abu Dhabi era now faces scrutiny.
Guardiola hasn’t been accused of involvement in City’s financial breaches and no titles have been removed. City also reject the commission’s findings and intend to appeal.
The 55-year-old has again publicly backed the club, telling supporters this week: “We will get through this together.”
For Guardiola, that appeal now carries significance beyond City’s eventual punishment. It will also shape the continuing debate around one of the most successful managerial reigns English football has seen.
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