Pep Guardiola said Manchester City expect to learn the outcome of the hearing into their 115 charges of alleged Premier League financial rule breaches “in one month”.
According to Premier League rules, any punishment could be a points deduction or even the threat of expulsion from the division.
Speaking in his press conference on Friday, Guardiola dismissed suggestions the club’s January spending spree was a pre-emptive strike against a possible future transfer embargo.
City made their first serious moves in a winter transfer window since signing Aymeric Laporte in 2018 as they splashed out £170m on Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov, Vitor Reis and Nico Gonzalez before Monday’s deadline.
Guardiola feels City’s actions are incorrectly judged because of their owners’ wealth and their spending still does not match that of others.
He said: “I do not agree, but my words will not convince people that our attributes are [not] just being in a wealthy position.
“In the last five years, we are the last team in the top six for net-spend. Even after what we have spent in this transfer window, we are away from Chelsea, [Manchester] United, Arsenal, Tottenham, even from Liverpool.
“The reason why is we have sold a lot in the last seasons but, even with that, I know [what people say about] this club, it is always ‘just about the money’.
“Respect the other ones but in one month I think there will be a verdict and a sentence and after we will see my opinion of what happened so far. Still, at the end, every club can do whatever they want.”
In February 2023, the Premier League charged City with breaking more than 100 of its financial rules with the alleged breaches covering the period between 2009 and 2018. Manchester City denied all of the charges.
The hearing took place in front of an independent commission over 12 weeks between September and December.
A decision is expected in the spring, most likely around March and both sides have the right of appeal, which would take several months.
