Pep Guardiola claims most Premier League clubs want Manchester City RELEGATED as defiant boss staunchly defends his side following sponsorship amendment blow

Pep Guardiola has claimed most clubs in the Premier League want to see Manchester City relegated — on the day 16 of them sided with competition chiefs against the champions.

City are locked in a battle with the top flight after they were charged with 115 breaches of financial rules, with a verdict expected in the new year.

Relegation is one potential punishment should City be found guilty of serious offending. And Guardiola admitted rivals’ presumption of City’s guilt had played a part in his decision this week to extend his contract. ‘I read something about how we need to be relegated immediately,’ he said. ’75 per cent of the clubs want it, because I know what they do behind the scenes and this sort of stuff.

‘I prefer not to be in that position but once it’s there I love it — because you believe in your club and the people there. I believe what they say to me (about the alleged breaches) and the reasons why. We’re awaiting the sentence in February or March.

‘What happens if we are relegated? I will be here. I don’t know the position they are going to bring us. The Conference?

‘But we will come up and come up and come back to the Premier League. I feel it.’

City are locked in a battle with the top flight after they were charged with 115 breaches of financial rules

Clubs approved changes to sponsorship rules despite City’s attempts to have them thrown out

Guardiola spoke out after a Premier League summit in London, where the clubs approved changes to sponsorship rules despite City’s attempts to have them thrown out. City had argued the framework around associated party transactions — deals clubs make with companies linked to their owners — was null and void after a legal challenge they triggered deemed sections of the regulations unlawful. However, 16 of the 20 clubs voted in favour of the Premier League’s amendments.

City had threatened legal action should the changes be voted through, and that remains their position. They will now await guidance from a tribunal in January. Should it find in their favour, the new rules may be ripped up.

City had accused the Premier League of rushing through the rule changes and chief executive Richard Masters of misleading clubs when he said the proposed amendments could be made swiftly. They had called for a delay until the panel who deemed parts of the rules unlawful returned with a verdict on whether that meant changes — such as including shareholder loans in the rules — could be made or whether the whole system needed re-writing.

Aston Villa publicly backed City, but only Saudi-owned Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest joined

them yesterday, leaving the champions three short of the figure needed to block the plans. Manchester United and, perhaps surprisingly, Chelsea spoke in favour of the amendments.

A Premier League statement said: ‘At a Premier League shareholders’ meeting today, clubs approved changes to the League’s associated party transaction (APT) rules.

‘The amendments to the rules address the findings of an arbitration tribunal following a legal challenge by Manchester City to the APT system earlier this year. The purpose of the APT rules is to ensure clubs are not able to benefit from commercial deals or reductions in costs that are not at fair market value by virtue of relationships with associated parties.

‘These rules were introduced to provide a robust mechanism to safeguard the financial stability, integrity and competitive balance of the league.’

Meanwhile, clubs unanimously voted for the Premier League to establish an in-house media operations business. From 2026-27, all international media content production and distribution will be brought in-house, ending a 20-year partnership with IMG.