Erling Haaland has asked everyone connected to Manchester City to "stick together" after the club was found guilty of breaking the Premier League's financial rules. In an interview with Sky Sports published Thursday, the striker 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."
An independent commission found that City arranged "sham" contracts with several commercial partners to artificially inflate the club's revenues and reduce costs over a nine-season period between 2009 and 2018. The club could face severe sanctions, including expulsion from the top flight, and has lodged an appeal against the findings.
Reports 13 days earlier described City as having been found guilty on 114 of the 115 financial charges brought against them by the Premier League, with the club yet to be sanctioned and an appeal expected to follow.
City face Liverpool at Anfield in their first match since the verdict, with a hostile atmosphere anticipated on Sunday. Haaland stressed the need for unity ahead of the fixture: "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."
