Pep Guardiola sends final message on Man City's 115 charges before Etihad farewell
Pep Guardiola has issued a final vote of confidence in Manchester City's hierarchy as the club continue to await a verdict on their long-running financial case with the Premier League.Guardiola will oversee his final match at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday against Aston Villa, bringing the curtain down on a historic 10-year spell in Manchester.His departure comes before a judgement is delivered on more than 115 alleged breaches of Premier League financial regulations, with the investigation focusing on the period between 2009 and 2018.Despite the uncertainty hanging over the club, Guardiola insisted he remains fully supportive of City's leadership.TRENDINGStoriesVideosYour Say"There will be a resolution," Guardiola said. "I trust them, I trust them. Because I spoke with them and I trust how they behave and how they did."The outgoing City boss also stressed that many current figures at the club were not involved during the period under investigation."None of the staff, of the backroom staff or mainly the players and the manager were here," he added."So it's a long, long time ago. And I trust the club."City have consistently denied all wrongdoing throughout the process.Guardiola himself was manager during part of the timeframe covered by the allegations, although the bulk of the charges relate to seasons before his arrival from Bayern Munich in 2016.The 55-year-old is now preparing for a complete break from management after a relentless decade that delivered 17 major trophies and transformed City into one of football's dominant forces.Guardiola is reportedly selling his luxury apartment at City Suites in central Manchester, believed to be worth around 2million, though he refused to rule out returning to the city in the future.LATEST SPORTS NEWS:Rico Verhoeven makes big announcement after controversial defeat to Oleksandr UsykEmma Raducanu gives health update as tennis star prepares return to actionGolf chief removed by PGA of America following abuse suffered by Rory McIlroy and other stars"For a while, I will not be manager," he said."That is the only thing."I promise you if I had energy I would be here with them. Otherwise I would be here, still here."Honestly, I deserve to take a break."The Catalan also revealed he intends to step away from football entirely for a period in order to spend more time with his family."I don't have any absolute plan about my future, except to rest and recover my time that I missed with my kids when they were growing up," he admitted."Many things I've not done I want to do, stupid things I want to do."Guardiola has also refused to dismiss the possibility of one day managing England national football team.Meanwhile, former assistant Enzo Maresca is widely expected to succeed him at Manchester City, although negotiations with Chelsea over compensation remain ongoing.City's newly expanded North Stand, which supporters have called to be named after Guardiola, will officially open on Sunday.Yet Guardiola insisted he does not want his legacy to overshadow the next manager."It doesn't work to copy and paste in this kind of job," he said."You have to be unique, natural and yourself - and the new manager will be himself."Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter