Rodri says of City's denial that they never did something wrong: "we believe in that"
RodriSpain captain and former Manchester City midfielder, at a Spain press conference before the match against England
At a Spain press conference on the evening of September 25, 2026, Rodri said that everyone has to follow the rules and that "they always press the confidence that they never did something wrong and we believe in that." He then said, "Since the moment they proved wrong, we will believe the club." Earlier in the clip he recalled that a similar process in 2020 ended with nothing happening.
Responding to
Manchester City said on September 29, 2026 that the club "is innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League," that "a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of all of its positions," and that the commission's opinion "contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact, and is unsafe."
“I think it's normal to go through these kind of situations and it's part of football today and everyone has to follow the rules and for me that's great. But they always press the confidence that they never did something wrong and we believe in that. That's the thing. Since the moment they proved wrong, we will believe the club.”
Original video
Original video
Where this statement fits
Did Manchester City use 'sham' sponsorships to circumvent Premier League financial rules, as an independent commission found and the club denies?
On September 29, 2026, the Premier League published the redacted core decision of an independent commission that heard its charges against Manchester City. The commission found that between the 2009/10 and 2017/18 seasons City arranged sponsorship contracts that it described as "shams" with a number of Abu Dhabi sponsors, as part of what it called a disguised funding scheme in which the club's owner, Abu Dhabi United Group Investment & Development Ltd (ADUG), paid most of the recorded fees. It found that the club "clearly intended to circumvent the PL Rules." It found all of the financial-rule charges proven and most of the co-operation charges proven. City says it is innocent, that "a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists" in support of its positions, and that the opinion is unsafe. It says it will appeal, and the deadline is October 2. The sanction has not been decided. As of October 1, 2026, this is a first-instance decision that an Appeal Board has not reviewed on the merits. The disputed question is whether City used sponsorship contracts that the commission described as shams, and related arrangements, to misstate its finances and circumvent the Premier League's financial rules.
Source and context
Original video
About this source
A fan channel's upload of Rodri's answers at a Spain press conference on September 25, 2026, the day before Spain's Nations League match against England at Wembley, after the first reports of the outcome. ITV Sport also aired part of the answer. The quoted words follow the spoken answer in the video.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Original video
About this source
ITV Sport's broadcast of part of Rodri's press-conference answer, introduced as the comments of Spain's captain, who left City in the summer. DI cites only that part of the video.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Rodri spoke after The Athletic's report on September 25, 2026 that City had been found guilty on virtually all charges. Before this passage he said that what City achieved cannot be taken from the players and that he was glad to have lived one of the best eras of English football. ITV introduced the clip as the comments of Spain's captain, who left City in the summer. The Premier League had not yet published the decision.
After the quotation
ITV pundit Roy Keane replied on air that he disagreed with Rodri's message. The commission published its decision on September 29, and City said it will appeal.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Relative to the proposition that City used sponsorship contracts the commission described as shams, and related arrangements, to misstate its finances and circumvent the Premier League's financial rules, as the commission found, Rodri says he and his former team-mates believe the club's statement that it never did anything wrong, which endorses the club's denial. He also says that everyone has to follow the rules and, in the next sentence, which the audio renders as "Since the moment they proved wrong, we will believe the club," makes his belief depend on the club not being proved wrong. We used Mixed or conditional because the statement combines support for the club's denial with that condition. The closest competing label is Denied. He spoke before the commission's decision was published.
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Read the full caseGary Neville says "the biggest consequence would be the removal of the owners" after the commission's decision
“The biggest consequence would be the removal of the owners. That is the only consequence, if I was Manchester City, that I would be worried about. And as a fan of Manchester City, if you wanted to keep the investment that you've currently got, that would be the one that I would be most concerned. However, if you're in football and you're thinking about a consequence, what can be more serious than industrial-level financial doping that we've seen and they've been found guilty of?”Read statement
Etihad Airways says it "categorically rejects any finding, conclusion or implication" that it was involved in improper arrangements
Etihad Airways
“Etihad Airways has reviewed the Premier League commission's published opinion relating to the disciplinary proceedings involving Manchester City, together with the Premier League's public communication of its findings. Etihad categorically rejects any finding, conclusion or implication that suggests the airline has ever been involved in improper commercial arrangements. The Premier League's public communication of the commission's findings, following a period of selective leaks and reporting, has further created damaging implications for Etihad despite the airline not being named in the redacted published findings. At no time did the Premier League reach out to or engage with Etihad in the process associated with the commission's opinion. Etihad was therefore never given the opportunity by the Premier League to be represented, to provide relevant information, or to ensure the accuracy and fairness of information relied upon in reaching conclusions that may now be interpreted as reflecting adversely on the airline. Etihad is deeply concerned by the way this matter has been communicated publicly. The lack of clarity and transparency, together with the selective disclosure of information, has created damaging implications for Etihad despite the airline not being named in the published decision. The Premier League must take responsibility for the consequences of the way in which these findings have been presented. Etihad is immensely proud of its longstanding relationship with Manchester City. The Etihad name has been proudly carried by the club and its stadium for many years, as part of a partnership that has connected us with millions of supporters around the world. Our commitment to Manchester City, its supporters and our shared partnership remains strong. We stand with the club, its supporters and our wider Etihad community as Manchester City challenges the commission's conclusions through the processes available to it. Etihad will seek the relevant legal counsel on the options and recourse available to protect its interests.”Read statement
IFR chair David Kogan says the decision "raises serious issues" and the regulator will "await further developments"
“The independent commission’s decision raises serious issues. The IFR has powers to assess the suitability of owners, directors and executives and we will use these powers where appropriate, in the interests of protecting the sustainability, honesty and integrity of English football where there is clear evidence of wrongdoing by individuals. This includes taking account of findings made by the Leagues. However, as the proceedings remain ongoing between Manchester City and the Premier League we will await further developments. We hope it can be resolved quickly for the sake of fans. For now, we have no further comment.”Read statement
Cite this record
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- The Dispute Index
- Title
- Rodri says of City's denial that they never did something wrong: "we believe in that"
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- https://disputeindex.com/events/4021-at-a-spain-press-conference-on-the-evening
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "Rodri says of City's denial that they never did something wrong: "we believe in that"". First published: 2026-10-01. Last updated: 2026-10-01. https://disputeindex.com/events/4021-at-a-spain-press-conference-on-the-evening