Sports
Guardiola Urges Swift Resolution For City’s Financial Allegations
Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, expressed his desire for the swift resolution of the over 100 Premier League charges leveled against the club for suspected financial irregularities.
City who recently clinched their third consecutive English top-flight title, were referred to an independent commission in February to face accusations of 115 rule breaches spanning from 2009 to 2018.
In addition to the allegations of financial irregularities, Manchester City has also been accused by the Premier League of lacking cooperation since the investigation commenced in December 2018.
The charges leveled against the club are vehemently denied by City, but due to the substantial nature of the accusations and the potential consequences if found guilty, it is anticipated that the case may endure an extended duration.
Pep Guardiola, who is currently leading Manchester City’s pursuit of a trophy treble this season, is eager to prevent any lingering uncertainty from overshadowing their accomplishments.
Guardiola is adamant about resolving the investigation into the club’s alleged financial irregularities swiftly in order to ensure that their achievements are not tarnished.
But the Catalan, who has a contract until 2025, stressed he would not walk away from the club while the charges remain unresolved.
“What I would like is if the Premier League and judges could make something as soon as possible, then if we have done something wrong everybody will know it,” he said on the eve of Wednesday’s match against Brighton.
“And if we are like we believe as a club for many years, in the right way, then the people will stop talking about that..We would love it tomorrow, this afternoon better than tomorrow.
“Hopefully, they are not so busy and the judges can see both sides and decide what is the best because, in the end, I know what we won, we won fairly on the pitch and we don’t have any doubts.”
Manchester City, since their takeover by the Abu Dhabi United Group in 2008, have faced previous scrutiny regarding financial matters. In 2014, the club was fined 60 million euros ($64 million) for violating UEFA’s Financial Fair Play regulations.
Subsequently, in February 2020, they received a two-year ban from UEFA competitions due to “serious breaches” of the financial fair play regulations.
However, the sanction was later overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) that same year. Despite the overturning of the ban, CAS did find City guilty of impeding investigations and imposed a fine of 10 million euros on the club.
Leicester City have announced the immediate dismissal of Steve Cooper as the club’s manager, following their 2-1 loss to Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday.
The club confirmed the decision in a statement published on its official website on Sunday, titled “Leicester City Part Company With Steve Cooper.”
In the statement, the Leicester City board acknowledged Cooper’s efforts but cited the need for a change in leadership.
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“The Board recognizes the hard work and commitment Steve Cooper has shown during his tenure but believes now is the right time for a new direction,” the statement read.
The defeat to Chelsea at the King Power Stadium capped a string of underwhelming performances that have left the Foxes struggling in the league.
Bayern Munich’s star striker, Harry Kane, has firmly responded to recent criticism by delivering a stunning performance on the pitch, setting a new Bundesliga record for the fastest player to reach 50 goals.
Kane’s second-half hat-trick in Bayern’s 3-0 home victory over Augsburg on Friday not only propelled the team eight points clear at the top of the table but also saw him hit the milestone in just 43 games, surpassing Erling Haaland’s previous record of 50 goals in 50 matches.
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The England captain’s clinical display included two penalty goals, extending his remarkable streak to 25 consecutive penalties scored for both club and country since his last miss against France in the 2022 World Cup quarter-finals.
This hat-trick marked Kane’s seventh in the Bundesliga since joining Bayern in the summer of 2023.
The 31-year-old’s hat-trick comes after he faced criticism during the international break, with some suggesting he should make way for Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins.
Addressing the doubters, Kane stated, “I’m used to that now,” acknowledging that the pressure of being a top striker is part of the territory. “I’m experienced enough to know that comes with being one of the top players, one of the top strikers.”
Despite the criticism, Kane feels he is in the best form of his career. “All I can do is do my talking on the pitch, like I did tonight,” he said, reinforcing his focus on letting his performances speak for themselves.
Kane also mentioned he has yet to speak with incoming England manager Thomas Tuchel, who also resides in Munich, but anticipates a conversation about his experiences and how the team can improve under the new coach.
“I’m sure we’ll have a conversation on the experiences I’ve had, the good and bad things, and what we can improve,” he added.
The English Premier League (EPL) has announced the official dates for the 2025/26 season, with the campaign set to kick off on Saturday, August 16, 2025, and conclude on Sunday, May 24, 2026.
The schedule, released in a statement titled “Dates for 2025/26 Premier League season confirmed,” also includes significant changes aimed at improving player welfare, particularly during the festive period.
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For the first time, the Premier League has ensured that no two match rounds will take place within 60 hours of each other during the busy Christmas and New Year period.
Additionally, the league confirmed there will be no fixtures on Christmas Eve, addressing long-standing concerns from players and clubs over the demanding festive schedule.
The statement highlighted: “The schedule continues to allow more rest time for players over the festive match-round period, with no two rounds taking place within 60 hours of each other.
“This is in keeping with commitments made to clubs to address the congested Christmas and New Year schedule.”
The 2025/26 campaign will feature 33 weekends and five midweek match rounds, providing a balanced and evenly distributed calendar for players and fans.
The season’s start date of August 16 ensures players have 83 days of rest following the conclusion of the 2024/25 campaign—the longest break possible within the calendar constraints.
The season’s end date, May 24, 2026, ensures all fixtures are completed ahead of the FIFA 2026 World Cup, giving players adequate preparation time for the global tournament.
The Premier League emphasized its commitment to prioritizing player welfare while maintaining the competition’s intensity and appeal.
“The start date of August 16 allows for the maximum player rest time available—83 clear days—from the end of the 2024/25 season. The season end date of May 24, 2026, ensures the Premier League season finishes ahead of the FIFA 2026 World Cup call-up period. There will be no fixture on December 24, 2025.”
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