Emery says other clubs also inflate budgets like Man City
Unai Emery, the coach of English Premier League club Aston Villa has defended Manchester City saying other clubs also inflated their budgets after the Abu Dhabi-owned club was found guilty of 114 out of 115 Premier League financial charges.
The Spanish tactician who made the remark in an interview with The Sun said that Financial Fair Play seeks a balance of what clubs generate but unfortunately some teams doctor their books to escape sanctions.
He said that he really feels sorry that the work done by Pep Guardiola at Manchester City may have been dented by the Premier League ruling against the club because there were times when the was unbeatable while Pep was in charge.
“It’s an issue that was already known. We all have our restrictions and we have to sell players to comply – so we have to figure out how to draw up contracts with new people,” Emery said.
“Financial fair play seeks a balance so that what you generate is spent and there isn’t inflation. But yes many other clubs have inflated their budgets and now it’s coming to light.
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“I feel sorry about it, given how that team played. Under Guardiola, there were times when they were unbeatable,” he added.
Emery’s comments come after former Manchester City coach Roberto Mancini distanced himself from the dealings of the club while he was still in charge at the Etihad.
When asked by media platform AP whether he was involved in Manchester City case, Mancini said: “It’s not something that concerns me.
“It’s Manchester City’s problem, unfortunately. It’s not a problem that concerns me.
On Thursday, 1 October 2026, Man City officially lodged a comprehensive appeal fiercely contesting the 114 guilty charges slammed against the club in a statement asserting its absolute innocence, branding the commission’s opinion as “unsafe” and plagued with “clear material errors of law, principle, and fact.”
