Premier League
Rodri breaks silence while Man City confront guilty verdict
In a quiet studio in London, former Manchester City midfielder Rodri sat down to address the storm surrounding his old club. He broke his long‑standing silence after the Premier League announced a guilty verdict for breaching 114 rules. Rodri, who arrived at the Etihad in 2019 and left for Barcelona in 2026, reflected on a decade of triumphs.
The investigation spans actions taken between 2009 and 2018, well before Rodri ever wore the sky‑blue shirt. Despite his arrival after the period under scrutiny, many fans and pundits now demand that the club be stripped of its trophies or even relegated. City have already signalled their intention to appeal the decision.
Rodri defends the club's innocence
Speaking to, Rodri said, "They always express the confidence that they never did something wrong and we believe in that. Until the moment they are proved wrong, we will believe the club." He recalled the 2020 Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling that cleared City of separate financial‑fair‑play charges after UEFA had initially imposed a two‑year European ban.
Rodri added, "We had the example of 2020 that the process was the same and at the end nothing happened. We have faced something similar, we had a similar judicial process. Different accusation but similar process. 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."
His honours cannot be erased
When asked whether the verdict could affect his personal legacy, Rodri insisted, "What we did, they cannot take out of us. 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." He listed four Premier League titles, a Champions League crown, two FA Cups, three League Cups and a Club World Cup as achievements that will remain his.
Rodri concluded, "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."
Hal's journey through sports journalism
Hal earned an MA in Sports Journalism and an NCTJ qualification from St Mary’s University Twickenham before joining the Valnet network in late 2021. He began his career as a freelance writer for This Is Futbol and later moved to FootballFanCast, where he became the social media editor.
He now serves as an editor for GiveMeSport, concentrating on the Premier League, Champions League and English football. In addition to football, Hal helps the outlet cover major sports such as MMA, boxing, darts, tennis and golf, with the summer and winter Olympics highlighted when they appear on the calendar.
Premier League threatens Manchester City with fines and expulsion
Outside of work, Hal is an Arsenal and Three Lions supporter, while his favourite rugby side is the All Blacks, a passion rooted in his New Zealand upbringing.