Man City's Pep Guardiola delivers blunt response to Javier Tebas accusations, La Liga legal complain

Pep Guardiola has refused to respond to accusations aimed at Manchester City from La Liga president Javier Tebas.

On Thursday, Tebas told the Financial Times Business of Football Summit that La Liga filed a complaint to the European Commission against Man City in the summer of 2023.

The complaint is related to the Foreign Subsidies Regulation, which concerns foreign subsidies granted by non-EU states to companies involved in economic activities within the internal market.

Both Tebas and La Liga believe that Man City has received foreign support from related companies in the United Arab Emirates, which has allowed the Citizens to enhance their competitive position and cause substantial distortions across various national and EU markets.

Man City are also being accused of receiving resources under non-market conditions that disrupt a plethora of closely-related markets, enabling the Citizens to sign elite players and coaches for fees far beyond what would be deemed feasible under normal market conditions.

In addition, the Spanish top flight are claiming that this disruption is enabling Man City to secure sponsorship revenues at levels that do not align with fair market value.

"Next, next, next"

Man City are yet to officially comment on the allegations, but they are said to have 'strongly refuted' them and view Tebas, who has been La Liga president since April 2013, as someone who 'has a long history of attacking the club'.

Guardiola was asked about the allegations at a press conference on Friday ahead of Saturday's FA Cup fifth-round tie with Plymouth Argyle, but the Citizens boss was reluctant to share his opinion on the matter.

The Catalan was asked three separate questions about Tebas's allegations and on all three occasions interrupted the reporter to give the same response: "Next".

A more general observation was then put forward to Guardiola about why Man City appear to be a target for other people or clubs.

Guardiola and Tebas have history as the Catalan coach once stated that the La Liga president was "jealous of English football" when Man City's two-year Champions League ban imposed by UEFA was overturned in 2020.

The Citizens are currently also awaiting the verdict of the hearing into their 115 charges for alleged Premier League financial rule breaches and could face either a large points deduction or relegation if they are found guilty.

"I don't know (why Man City are targeted)," said Guardiola. "It happened in the past with UEFA, and in a few weeks with the Premier League, the sentence. We wait and after we talk."

Under Guardiola, Man City have won a total of 18 trophies, including six Premier League titles, five EFL Cups, two FA Cups and one Champions League.

Guardiola steered the Citizens to a historic treble in 2022-23 before winning an unprecedented fourth successive Premier League title last season, but his City side have endured a disappointing campaign by their standards this term, and sit a whopping 20 points behind top-flight champions-elect Liverpool.

City have also been knocked out of the EFL Cup and Champions League, leaving the FA Cup as their only remaining chance of lifting silverware this season, with second-tier outfit Plymouth Argyle - who have already knocked out Brentford and Liverpool - standing in their way in the fifth round.