Pep Guardiola has warned Manchester City's Premier League rivals to beware any future investigation into their own money matters.
City have been accused of over 100 breaches of the Premier League's financial rules between the seasons of 2009-10 and 2017-18, with an independent commission to review the cases against them.
Guardiola believes City's Premier League rivals are responsible for the allegations they face, saying every one of the other 19 teams in the league want to see his team punished.
For his part, Guardiola is convinced City have done nothing wrong, but he said he could not be sure others would be so squeaky clean.
"They open a precedent right now," Guardiola said. "What they have done to us, be careful, be careful in the future.
"Because many clubs can make a suggestion, and there are a lot of clubs that can be accused like we are being accused, without maybe being innocent.
"I don't know what's going to happen in the future. I can have a feeling.
"Would they push to get rid of us in the competitions? That is obvious, because they believe we didn't behave properly, and we can accept that, but let us defend when we believe we did it properly."
Guardiola said City bosses are more confident than ever about having adhered to the rules, having previously faced a case brought by UEFA over financial fair play.
In 2020, City had a two-year ban from European football overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. They were fined €10million for a failure to cooperate with UEFA investigations, but the ban was lifted.
Guardiola would rather focus on on-pitch matters, and urged his players to "defend this club as well as possible".
"Why should they be distracted? I'm confident in my players," Guardiola said.
He played down talk of a recent dip in form, although City have lost three of their last six games, with an EFL Cup exit at the hands of Southampton followed by a derby defeat to Manchester United and a loss at Tottenham.
Aston Villa visit the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, a repeat of the meeting on the final day of last season when City came from 2-0 behind to win 3-2 and secure the Premier League title for a fourth time in five seasons.
"We lost to Spurs – the rest was quite good," Guardiola said of his team's form. "We know the situation. We know we have to make more consistency and we'll try to start on Sunday.
"Normally we didn't give up in previous seasons in the toughest moments, and we were there, and I have the feeling we will continue to do it.
"We try to do our best on the pitch like everyone else. The players will be focused on our games, that's for sure."
Would there be extra motivation given the off-field goings-on?
"No," said Guardiola. "When games are coming back everyone is going to do the job they have to do, ourselves on the on pitch and the lawyers in the court.
"We are not alone when we are together, but against 19 teams we are alone, that is for sure."
He said the perceived opposition to City by their Premier League rival clubs would not be a fuel this weekend.
"You have to play good, we have to beat Aston Villa," Guardiola said. "If 19 clubs [and the case against City] are going to help us beat Aston Villa? We have to do it like always we have done it.
"We did it on the pitch. If they want to take it off the pitch, OK, but let us defend."
Daniele De Rossi staying on as Roma boss
Roma have confirmed that head coach Daniele De Rossi will remain in charge of the club for “the foreseeable future”.
De Rossi, 40, who spent 18 years as a player with the Giallorossi, was appointed in January after the sacking of Jose Mourinho.
Roma have climbed from ninth to fifth in Serie A under the 40-year-old, who initially signed a short-term deal until June.
In a statement on the club’s website, Roma owners Dan and Ryan Friedkin said: “After meeting yesterday afternoon with Daniele De Rossi, we are delighted to announce he will continue as head coach of AS Roma after this season and for the foreseeable future.
“In his short tenure as head coach, the positive impact that his leadership has brought to the entire club has told its own story.
“Daniele leads with respect and courage, while his strength and deep-rooted belief in the club are truly aligned with Roma’s values, city and unparalleled fans.
“We will continue to work together as hard as we possibly can to deliver a future that AS Roma’s fans deserve.
“We couldn’t be happier to build a long-term project with Daniele.
“Further details to follow in the coming days.”
Barcelona fined for racist behaviour of fans at Paris St Germain
Barcelona have been fined 25,000 euros (£21,400) by UEFA for racist behaviour by their fans during the Champions League quarter-final first-leg tie at Paris St Germain.
Three charges were brought against Barca following the fixture at Parc des Princes on April 10, which included acts of damage and lighting of fireworks.
UEFA’s Appeals Body announced on Thursday Barcelona will be fined for the racist behaviour of their fans and will be banned from selling tickets to their away supporters for the Spanish club’s next UEFA competition match.
That ticket ban has been suspended for a probationary period of one year, which started from the date of the present decision.
Barcelona must also pay a 2,000 euro fine for lighting fireworks and a further 5,000 euro fine for acts of damage.
After Barca won the first leg 3-2 in Paris, they lost 4-1 in the second leg at home this week to exit the Champions League 6-4 on aggregate.
Harry Kane savours Champions League ‘war’ with England team-mate Jude Bellingham
Harry Kane is ready to go into battle against Jude Bellingham for a spot in the Champions League final before the pair aim to lead England to Euro 2024 glory.
England captain Kane moved to Bayern Munich from Tottenham last year while Bellingham left Borussia Dortmund to join Real Madrid.
Both helped their respective clubs to Champions League quarter-final wins over Premier League sides on Wednesday night as Bayern beat Arsenal and Real saw off Manchester City on penalties. Bellingham scored in that shoot-out while Kane netted a first-leg spot-kick at the Emirates Stadium.
Those wins tee up a mouth-watering semi-final clash between two clubs who have won 20 European Cups between them.
Despite Arsenal and City being eliminated, meaning the first semi-final line-up since 2020 with no Premier League clubs, Kane believes there will still be plenty of English interest in how he and Bellingham fare.
“Jude has had a fantastic season, he’s a top player,” he said.
“I’m really happy for him but it will be another war against his team – but that’s the experiences that we both went abroad to try to achieve, to play in these big nights in the Champions League, to play in these big semi-finals.
“It will be one to enjoy and I’m sure there will be a lot of English fans watching both of us. We have to focus on ourselves. Of course, I’ll say hello but once we’re on the pitch, it’s business.”
Kane is still yet to win a major trophy in his career and also has the added incentive of the Champions League final taking place at Wembley on June 1, with either Dortmund or Paris St Germain awaiting the winner of Real and Bayern.
“For both of us, for sure,” Kane replied when asked if Wembley is the dream for him and Bellingham.
“With Wembley being our national stadium, it’s extra motivation there for us but there are two games ahead of us before that, which are going to be really tough so we have to focus on that.
“Real Madrid are a big club with amazing history in the Champions League so it’s going to be a really difficult game for us.
“But that’s what the semi-finals of the Champions League are all about, the biggest teams, so we enjoy this tonight and then prepare for that game in a couple of weeks.”
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