Rodri backs Manchester City after guilty verdict: 'They told us to be relaxed' | OneFootball

Rodri has backed Manchester City after the club were found guilty on almost all of their 115 Premier League financial charges, revealing the club told its players to "be relaxed."

The 30-year-old spent seven seasons at City between 2019 and 2026, winning four Premier League titles and the Champions League, before joining Barcelona this summer.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of Spain's Nations League match against England at Wembley on Saturday, the midfielder expressed his belief in the club's innocence.

Rodri drew parallels with City's 2020 UEFA competition ban, a two-year suspension from European football that was later overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

"We have faced something similar, we had a similar judicial process. Different accusation but similar process," Rodri said.

"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. So, I believe in the justice system, and I believe in the innocence of the club."

The now-Barcelona player added that the club told players to "be relaxed, as they had done everything correctly,"according to The Athletic.

"They always express the confidence that they never did something wrong and we believe in that," he said. "Until the moment they are proved wrong, we will believe the club."

Rodri defiant on potential Man City title stripping: What we did, they cannot take out of us

The extent of City's potential punishment remains unclear, with the scale of the breaches unprecedented. Sanctions suggested in some areas of the media include the removal of titles won.

Asked how he feels about the possibility of the trophies he won at City being stripped as part of any punishment, Rodri was defiant.

"What we did, they cannot take out of us," he said. "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.

"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."

City are expected to appeal the verdict. The sanctions have not yet been decided, with all possibilities remaining on the table, according to The Athletic. The club were first charged in February 2023 following a four-year investigation.