Manchester City are appealing a two-year ban from European competition but Pep Guardiola has reportedly told players he will be staying regardless.
The football world was shocked by Fridayโs announcement that Manchester City have been banned from European competition for two years as a result of serious breaches of Uefaโs Financial Fair Play regulations.
Although the club intend to appeal this ruling, which also had them fined ยฃ25 million, the future of several star players, as well as manager Pep Guardiola, was soon thrown into doubt.
Having won an unprecedented domestic treble last season, the Champions League has become Cityโs main focus. Itโs the one trophy that continues to elude them.
Itโs also become something of a personal mission for Guardiola, who won the competition twice as manager of Barcelona, but consistently fell short at Bayern Munich.
Since joining Man City in 2016, the furthest he has taken them is to the quarter-finals of the Champions League, where they lost to Liverpool and then Tottenham Hotspur in consecutive seasons.
This time City are set to face Real Madrid in the round of 16 having topped their group, while Zinedine Zidaneโs side finished second behind Paris Saint-Germain.
As it stands, an impending ban from European competition makes Guardiolaโs desire to reclaim the Champions League all the more pressing, but he has apparently indicated to his players that he will remain at the club whatever happens.
According to Sky Sports, Guardiola and Raheem Sterling have reaffirmed their commitment to the City cause in the wake of Uefaโs ruling.
Guardiolaโs current deal lasts until 2021 and he is apparently keen to see it through, emphasising the importance of the City squad staying united in difficult circumstances.
โLook, whatever league we are in, I will still be here,โ he is reported to have said. โEven if they put us in League Two, I will still be here. This is a time for sticking together.โ