Pep Guardiola is set to make an emotional return to the Etihad Stadium next week when Manchester City face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
Guardiola plans to attend Wednesday’s fixture, marking his first return to the stadium since leaving his position as Manchester City manager. The former City boss spent a decade at the club and ended his tenure after guiding the team to 20 trophies.
The Manchester City vs PSG clash is scheduled for Wednesday, October 14, with kick-off at 8pm BST.
Guardiola has already made his position clear regarding the club following the recent Premier League verdict. “I am with you, I’ll be with you,” he said a few days ago, reaffirming his support for the club, its players and supporters amid the ongoing legal battle.
His return comes at a particularly difficult moment for City, with the club facing a fresh challenge over its defence of around £830 million in disputed sponsorship payments.
Manchester City were found guilty by an independent commission of serious financial rule breaches relating to sponsorship arrangements between 2009 and 2018. The commission found that £830.69m recorded as sponsorship income had actually been funded by Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG). City deny wrongdoing and have appealed the verdict.
The club’s expected appeal argument is that the disputed money came from the Abu Dhabi government rather than City’s owners. However, the defence could face difficulties because Etihad Airways has previously denied that the Abu Dhabi Government funded its sponsorship agreement with the club.
Against that backdrop, Guardiola’s return to the Etihad is likely to carry added significance as City prepare to welcome PSG in a major Champions League encounter.
