Pep Guardiola hits back at Ceferin after Manchester City European ban remark

Photograph: David Blunsden/Action Plus/Shutterstock

Pep Guardiola has hit back at Aleksander Ceferin after the Uefa president said the governing body was “right” to ban Manchester City from European competition for two years for alleged breaches of financial fair play regulations.

City received a ban and €30m fine in 2020 after it was ruled the club had falsely inflated sponsorship revenues over a four-year period but got the decision to prevent them entering the Champions League overturned by the court of arbitration for sport and their fine was reduced to €10m, which City described as a “validation of the club’s position”.

The court found most of the alleged breaches were not established or time-barred but that City had obstructed the investigations. Ceferin told the Telegraph this week: “We know we were right. We wouldn’t decide if we didn’t think we were right.”

Although the Uefa matter is over, City are awaiting the outcome of a Premier League case after receiving more than 100 charges, with a hearing due this year. Ceferin said he did not want to comment on that but acknowledged Everton and Nottingham Forest fans could be frustrated with the amount of time it has taken to conclude City’s case.

“As a lawyer that he is, the president of Uefa, he should wait and after do whatever he wants,” Guardiola said. “The sentence from Uefa he has to respect it and he has to wait. He has a lot of jobs to do at Uefa. To be involved in the case with lawyers, he should respect the procedure and understand we have the right to defend ourselves.”

Guardiola confirmed Erling Haaland was not ready to return for City in the FA Cup fourth-round visit to Tottenham on Friday after a foot problem. Haaland, who has scored 19 goals in 22 appearances this season, returned to full training this week during the club’s winter break in Abu Dhabi but has not sufficiently recovered to make his first appearance since 6 December.

“He is on the verge of coming back,” Guardiola said. “Tomorrow he is not ready but he is close. He trained but is not perfect and we will wait.” John Stones, who has missed the past month with an ankle injury, will be available.

Kalvin Phillips is set to complete his loan move to West Ham. The midfielder has spent 18 months at the Etihad but made only six competitive starts. “Hopefully he can play the minutes he deserves and I couldn’t give to him,” Guardiola said. “I wish him [well]. I’ve said many times he’s an exceptional human being and a football player, otherwise he wouldn’t be in the national team. Hopefully he can prove what he really is.”

City have announced the signing of the Argentinian teenager Claudio Echeverri from River Plate for an initial £12.5m on a deal until 2028. He will stay on loan at River until next January.