Rodri speaks out on Man City guilty verdict as press conference stopped after 'justice' claim

Rodri says he believes Manchester City are ‘innocent’, despite being found guilty on all but one of the Premier League charges levelled against them.

It emerged on Friday that City have been found guilty of 114 of the 115 charges brought by the Premier League over breaches of its financial rules.

City now face a range of potential punishments, ranging from a fine, to points deductions, to relegation from the top-flight. City are understood to be appealing the verdict.

Former City midfielder Rodri was asked about the decision at Spain’s press conference before their Nations League clash against England on Saturday.

JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! Latest news, analysis and much more on Mirror Football's Facebook page

Get our comprehensive football coverage, with news, updates, opinions, analysis and everything that matters to you, straight to your inbox.

To get it, it's a quick and easy one-two:

1. Head THIS WAY

Rodri, who now plays for Barcelona, said: "I believe in the justice system and I believe in the innocence of the club." When asked if he believes that because that's what the club have told him, he added: "No, they always tell us the confidence they have on the innocence.

"When you look into someone's eyes and talking that way...And we had the example in 2020 and the process was the same, and in the end, nothing happened.

"We were very calm in this way. You never saw the team nervous about these kinds of things. Nowadays, I'm not going to say it's going to stay normal, but many teams - or some teams - go through these kind of situations and it's part of football today.

"And everyone has to follow the rules, and for me, that's great. I always praise the confidence that they never did something wrong, and we believe in that.

FOLLOW OUR MAN CITY FB PAGE! Follow our Manchester City Mirror Football Facebook page

"The moment they prove wrong, we will believe the club. I've been there and I know how they work and how they co-operate, so that's what I can tell you."

Spain's media officer appeared to end the press conference early due to further questions about City's situation. It comes as City released their own statement in the aftermath of Friday's verdict, further pleading their innocence as they have continued to do so since they were slapped with the charges in 2023.

A spokesperson for the club said: "The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality. As such Manchester City FC’s position remains consistent with the Club’s statement of February 2023.

"The Club has diligently respected due process for eight years on the basis that the Premier League Board and Executive would behave as an independent, impartial and fair-minded regulator, free from partisan influence."