Erling Haaland has delivered a rallying cry to Manchester City supporters during a turbulent period for the club, telling them to
stick together, enjoy the ride and smileas the team prepares for a crucial fixture at Anfield.
The Norwegian striker's message comes as City launched a formal appeal against an independent commission's verdict that found them guilty of breaches of Premier League financial regulations. The club has consistently maintained their innocence and described the judgement as flawed.
City confirmed they lodged a
comprehensive appealat 7pm on October 1, with the Premier League confirming receipt on October 2. The club's statement emphasised that the verdict
contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact and is unsafe.
The independent commission determined that between 2009/10 and 2017/18, Manchester City arranged what it characterised as
shamcontracts with commercial partners as part of a
disguised funding schemeto artificially boost revenues. According to the Premier League's statement, the schemes inflated revenue and reduced costs by more than £900 million.
The commission also found City guilty of three of the four charges concerning failure to cooperate with the Premier League investigation, according to Reuters reporting.
Haaland's message to the fanbase
With the off-field turmoil dominating headlines, Haaland and his teammates prepare to face Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, with the match broadcast live on Sky Sports. When asked what he would convey to City supporters ahead of that encounter, the striker offered words of encouragement.
They're going to have a good time. 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 always have to have a smile.
He continued:
So we have to stay positive, look ahead, and try to win football games and try to enjoy the situation and win the game. We have to stick together; we have to spread the love to each other. So yeah: stick together, and enjoy the ride and smile.
Haaland, whose father Alf-Inge Haaland played for City, has spoken openly about his personal connection to the club and its supporters.
I care a lot about the city, I have to say. I care a lot about the fans because I'm a fan myself, and I feel with them as well.
The Liverpool rivalry
The fixture against Liverpool carries particular significance given the intense rivalry that has developed between the two clubs during the Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp era. Haaland reflected on the magnitude of these encounters.
It's always special to play against Liverpool. Especially with Pep and Klopp. I remember sitting in Salzburg and Dortmund and watching the games, how much they pushed each other. It's always special games there.
The striker added:
I won there, I drew there, I lost. So it's always special, and every Premier League game is different, and every game against Liverpool is always special.
The club's response to the verdict
Manchester City's official statement, released following the publication of the guilty verdict on September 29, expressed both disappointment and surprise. The club asserted:
Manchester City FC is both disappointed and surprised by the opinion of the Premier League commission, that has been published today. The club is innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League and a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of all of its positions, relating to this case.
The statement continued:
The club will therefore be relentless, and where necessary proactive, in any and all appropriate regulatory and legal forums.
City also questioned the impartiality of the process itself.
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.
The club added:
The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements uncompleted. Manchester City FC will now pursue the appeal avenues open to it, on the basis that the opinion contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact, and is unsafe. The club is obviously restricted in what it can say further until all future proceedings are complete.
Timeline of the investigation
The Premier League's investigation into Manchester City's financial practices began in 2018, with formal charges brought against the club in February 2023. The independent hearing took place in 2024, resulting in the guilty verdict announced in late September.
What happens next in the appeal process
The appeal will be heard privately by a new, three-member independent panel. According to Reuters, the hearing is due within 12 weeks of the appeal being lodged, with a decision expected within 30 days after the hearing concludes.
City's legal team may argue that the new expedited appeals rules introduced by the Premier League this season should not apply to their case, given that they were charged in 2023 and the hearing occurred in 2024, before those rules were implemented. A legal expert told Sky Sports News that Manchester City would have a strong case for this argument.
The new rules were introduced to ensure that clubs, where possible, were punished in the same season as the relevant rule breaches occurred. However, the extended timeline could mean the appeal process stretches into 2027 if City successfully argues that the older procedural rules should govern their case.
Liverpool are scheduled to host Manchester City at Anfield on October 11, 2026, providing the immediate focus for Haaland and his teammates as the club navigates the broader regulatory challenges ahead.
