Enzo Maresca insisted that Manchester City would still have been his dream job had the club been found guilty of serious financial breaches before offering him the role.
The Italian presented defiantly after the bombshell guilty verdict handed down by an independent commission last week, confidently claiming that he will talk openly once City win an appeal.
Club chiefs held discussions with Maresca about their case and the manager threw full trust behind the ownership and chief executive, Ferran Soriano.
‘I completely trust the club,’ Maresca said. ‘I trust the people and it’s one of the reasons I joined the club. There isn’t another club in the world where I would like to be.’
Asked if he would have accepted the job had he known what would transpire in the bitter case with the Premier League, Maresca added: ‘One hundred per cent. I know the organisation from years ago.
‘I know how serious they are and they do the right things. I want to speak about this when we win the appeal.’
Enzo Maresca insisted he would have still joined Man City had they been found guilty of financial breaches prior to him being offered the role
Maresca threw his backing behind the club’s ownership and chief executive Ferran Soriano, right, and vowed to speak openly ‘when we win the appeal’
The Man City boss rejected the notion that previous titles won – including the Treble campaign for which he was Pep Guardiola’s assistant – have been tarnished
Maresca rejected the notion that previous titles won – including the Treble campaign for which he was Pep Guardiola’s assistant – were tarnished.
If City lose their appeal, the Premier League have a range of sanctions at their disposal – including relegation or expulsion.
And the 46-year-old suggested that he would have no issue dropping down the divisions given his past experience.
‘I won the Championship with Leicester City,’ Maresca smirked. ‘So in case we are in League One we will see. But we are thinking about something we don’t know.
‘What happens if the appeal is won? I don’t know. We’re predicting the future. I’m worried about tomorrow, two days. It’s fair from my point of view to respect the process.’
Maresca and Soriano both addressed the City squad on their return to training on Thursday afternoon, with the coach stressing the importance of remaining focused on the games ahead.
That starts at Liverpool on Sunday in one of the most anticipated match-ups between the rivals in years, with City set for a hostile reception at Anfield.
‘Anfield is a nice pitch,’ he said. ‘Probably even more warm in terms of environment but the reason why I decided to be a manager is for this kind of game.
‘It will be a tough test. We need to be ready. The focus has to be about the game but we know the environment is nice, probably even worse because of the situation.
‘The players can face the pressure, absolutely. They already experienced similar situations. Enzo Fernandez played in Argentina, where almost every game is like going to Anfield. So it’s not a problem.
‘It’s a matter of being together, sticking together as Erling (Haaland) said. This is the situation, the noise, but the most important thing is we keep doing the right things. We’re on the same page with the players and CEO.
‘We completely understand the seriousness of the situation. We understand it but it’s our duty to control the noise. You cannot avoid it.
‘Viewing the environment inside the building the last two days, I’m not worried at all. It’s nice. We’re top of the league at the moment. The players have all the reason to be happy and excited.’
