Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique said Manchester City “deserve” the trophies they earned on the pitch. He hopes the English team can avoid punishment after being found guilty of breaking financial rules in the Premier League.
City could face serious penalties, including possible relegation from the top flight in England. An independent commission found them guilty of over 100 charges from 2009 to 2018.
There are also rumors that the club might lose titles they won during that time.
City have appealed the decision and deny any wrongdoing. Former City manager Pep Guardiola, who left the club in May, will return to the Etihad for Wednesday’s match against PSG in the Champions League.
Luis Enrique is a close friend and former teammate of Guardiola at Barcelona. He said the achievements City made on the field should remain theirs.
“I think what they’ve done on the pitch has been incredible over the last few years and I think they certainly deserve to win on the pitch all the trophies that they have won,” the PSG boss said in a pre-match press conference.
“I think the trophies that you win on the pitch remain on the pitch and they deserve to win. I hope they can avoid that sanction; that’s what I feel.”
Enzo Maresca has had a perfect start in his tough job of taking over from Guardiola. The Italian has won all eight games in all competitions so far. But Luis Enrique downplayed suggestions that Wednesday’s match is a chance to set an early standard for either team.
“January is when you can really see the team’s level,” he added. “Five or six months down the line, things are so different. Many teams change.
“But it’s an interesting match at this stage, a fun one to watch.”
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