Rodri backs Manchester City after reported guilty verdict

Former Manchester City midfielder Rodri said Friday he believes the club is innocent after reports that an independent panel found it guilty of 114 of 115 Premier League charges. The ruling has not been published in the supplied reporting, sanctions have not been decided, and Manchester City is expected to appeal. Rodri spoke at a Spain press conference ahead of its Nations League match against England. He said the club had assured him it had done nothing wrong and that he trusted those assurances, citing Manchester City’s earlier case with UEFA. Rodri said that case ended with the club being cleared on appeal and expressed confidence that the current process would also resolve in the club’s favor. The Premier League charges concern alleged breaches of financial rules, including the provision of accurate financial information and details of payments to players and managers. The reported verdict does not establish what sanctions, if any, will follow. Potential penalties described in the reports include a fine, a points deduction or relegation, but no outcome has been announced. The scope of the reported findings is not fully clear.