Guardiola involvement in ‘illegal money payments’ explained as seven-year-old Man City ‘accusation’ resurfaces | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola was once asked if he – like Roberto Mancini – held a ‘double contract’ at Manchester City and bristled at the accusation.

German outlet Der Spiegel published evidence in 2018 showing that Mancini’s base salary of £1.45m was doubled for advising a club in Abu Dhabi.

Mancini led City to their first Premier League title in 2012 after Abu Dhabi’s ruling family bought the club in 2008, also winning the FA Cup in 2011.

The Italian was asked about his so-called “double contract” at Italy’s press conference Sunday ahead of their Nations League game against Turkey.

“It’s not a problem that concerns me,” Mancini said. “Anyhow, it’s not something new, because every four or five years this comes up. Manchester City is not guilty and the fact of having a double contract isn’t my problem but theirs, probably.”

Guardiola bristled rather more than Mancini when asked if he was also in receipt of separate payments from Abu Dhabi by journalist Rob Harris, who’s played a huge role in breaking the Man City FFP story open.

In the wake of City securing an historic domestic treble in 2019, Harris asked: “Roberto Mancini was discovered to have had separate payments from Abu Dhabi while he was manager. Have you ever had separate payments from Abu Dhabi while City manager?”

“Do you know the question that you’re asking to me?” Guardiola replied. “Do you know the question that you’re asking me? That I receive money from another situation right now today.

“Honestly, do you think I deserve to be asked this sort of question – what happened with Roberto I don’t know – on the day we won the treble that I receive money from another situation? Oh my god. Are you accusing me?”

Harris responded: “No I asked the question some time ago and it’s only relevant because it came up again this week.”

Now, after City were found guilty by an independent commission on all charges of breaching financial fair play rules and face a huge punishment for their wrongdoing, Guardiola’s squeaky clean reputation is under threat.

The legendary boss, who left the club at the end of last season, has come out in support of his former club in the wake of the findings.

And legendary Norwegian scout Bryan King has leapt to the defence of Guardiola, suggesting that because there’s no evidence of his involvement in any financial irregularity at either Barcelona or Bayern Munich then the same will be true at Man City.

King told Football Insider: “Where was Pep Guardiola’s money involvement in Barcelona and Bayern Munich?

“They won the Championship in Germany and the Championship in Spain, as well as the Champions League in Spain.

“Was he influential in illegal money payments at those two clubs? Nothing’s ever been mentioned and I don’t suppose it will be mentioned because he wasn’t involved in it.

“He knows as a manager, a top manager, that if you’re going to bring players to your football club, top, top players have got to join a club with top, top players.

“And the one thing that it costs to build a club like that is an awful lot of money.”

We’re don’t quite understand your point, Bryan, but then again you have already revealed a poor grasp of the financial fair play rules as you want Tottenham investigated for spending £300m this summer when they’re in debt over the new stadium which is literally how they’re able to spend £300m.