Arteta says his conscience is clear over Man City breaches

Mikel Arteta said his conscience was clear over Manchester City's Premier League rule breaches at a news conference at Arsenal's training ground on 9 October 2026, his first since the independent commission's ruling. He faced repeated questioning about his period at City while serving as assistant manager under Pep Guardiola.

Arteta joined Arsenal from Manchester City in 2019 and worked under Pep Guardiola between 2016 and 2019. That period overlapped with the nine seasons during which City have been found to have broken rules and disguised secret funding of more than £830m. The independent commission produced a damning report and the club has appealed the ruling.

In the news conference Arteta repeatedly sought to deflect detailed commentary on the matter, saying he wanted to "respect" the ongoing process. He framed his responses around the need to observe procedures rather than offer personal opinions while the appeal remains live. He was not confrontational in his manner during questioning.

Late in the session he was asked directly: "You were at City for three and a half years, is your conscience clear? You had a senior position there, is your conscience clear?" His answer was one word, but it was arguably the most revealing part of the whole interaction. The occasion was the only time he did not revert to his earlier line about withholding further comment until resolution.

When questioned about contacts with Pep Guardiola, Arteta declined to say whether he had spoken to the Manchester City manager, replying: "I prefer not to answer those questions." He was also asked for his reaction to the independent commission's finding that City had arranged "sham contracts" with a number of commercial partners to disguise earnings.

Addressing the report and the ongoing appeal, Arteta said: "I fully understand the question, but obviously I think it's very important that we respect the process, the timelines, and it's still an ongoing process that is not resolved because it's been appealed. "My position, and I think the club's position, is not to make any further comments until this is fully resolved." He repeated the club's stance that it would not add to public commentary while the appeal is running.

Asked whether, to preserve the integrity of the Premier League, the appeal and sanction needed resolving this season, he replied: "The people are responsible to manage this process and to come to the right conclusions and I'm sure it will be done and it will be resolved in the right way. We have to trust that." Arteta also added he "100%" believed the Premier League remains the best in the world.

Arsenal sit three points behind league leaders City and host fifth-placed Leeds at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.