MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Erling Haaland called on everyone at Manchester City to “stick together” in his first public comments since the club was found guilty of large-scale financial rule-breaking in the Premier League.
City will play Liverpool on Sunday in its first match since the publication of an investigatory panel’s verdict that City artificially inflated its revenue by more than $1 billion from 2009-18 to circumvent financial fair-play rules that restricted rival clubs in that period.
City was found guilty by the panel of all 80 of the serious financial charges brought by the Premier League and could be hit with severe sanctions — including being expelled from the top flight. City has lodged an appeal against the findings.
In an interview with Sky Sports published Thursday, Haaland said: “We have to stick together and we have to spread the love to each other. So yeah, stick together, enjoy the ride and smile.”
Asked what his message would be to City fans traveling to Anfield, where a potentially hostile reception awaits the team, Haaland said: “We have to stick together, we have to stay with each other and we have to stay positive.
“No matter what happens in life, we have always have to have a smile. So we have to stay positive, look ahead and try to win football games and then try to enjoy the situation and the game.”
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