Rodri backs Manchester City's 'innocence' before Spain v England Nations League tie
Former Manchester City midfielder Rodri said he believed the club were innocent of any financial wrongdoing at a news conference before Spain's Uefa Nations League match against England at Wembley on 25 September 2026. His remarks came after the Premier League found Manchester City guilty of breaking the majority of the 115 financial rules they were accused of breaching.
Rodri, who made 298 appearances for Manchester City between 2018 and 2026 and joined Barcelona in August, expressed support for the club's position. He said: "They always express the confidence that they never did something wrong and we believe in that." He added: "Until the moment they are proved wrong, we will believe the club. They always tell us the confidence they have on the innocence."
City were cleared of separate financial fair play charges by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in 2020 after initially being given a two-year ban from European competitions by Uefa. Rodri pointed to that episode as precedent for the current situation, saying: "We had the example of 2020 that the process was the same and at the end nothing happened." He also said: "Different accusation but similar process. There as well in the first instance we were found guilty, but we believed in the club and the innocence that the club maintained and in the end we ended up acquitted." He concluded that "So, I believe in the justice system, and I believe in the innocence of the club."
The Premier League case covered a period in which Manchester City won eight trophies, including three league titles, three League Cups, one Community Shield and one FA Cup. Rodri rejected suggestions some honours could be removed, saying: "What we did, they cannot take out of us." He added: "It's something that is not paid by money. It's paid with effort, with the damage, with, you know, being shoulder to shoulder every day." He finished the point with: "I can tell you that everything was deserved, and I'm glad that I could live one of the best eras of English football in here."
Prime Minister Andy Burnham urged people to "study" the independent commission's report "in some considerable detail before reaching any conclusions" on the charges facing Manchester City. He told ITV Granada: "I would have to look at the report of the independent commission, and people shouldn't jump to those kinds of conclusions." He added: "I know this has been a long process between the club and the Premier League. I think it has been quite a contested process." He concluded: "So I don't think it's as simple as jumping to conclusions. I think we would all need to study the independent commission's report in some considerable detail before reaching any conclusions."
Manchester City are set to appeal the Premier League's findings, and Rodri's comments were made in the immediate build-up to Spain's Uefa Nations League match against England at Wembley.