‘Stick together and smile’: Erling Haaland’s message as Man City face financial scandal

Erling Haaland (AP photo) Erling Haaland has urged Manchester City to remain united and positive as the club deal with the fallout from a commission that found him guilty of serious breaches of Premier League financial rules.The striker made his first public comments on the issue ahead of City’s return to action against Liverpool on Sunday, while manager Enzo Maresca expressed his “confidence” in the club’s ownership and insisted his players were not overly concerned by the controversy.The game at Anfield will be City’s first since the commission of inquiry published its verdict, which found the club artificially inflated its revenue by more than $1 billion between 2009 and 2018 to circumvent financial fair play rules that restricted rival clubs during that period.City were found guilty of all 80 serious financial charges brought by the Premier League. The club could face severe sanctions, including ban from the top flight, but has appealed the findings.Speaking to Sky Sports in an interview published on Thursday, Haaland called for solidarity within the club as he navigates the situation.“We need to stick together and we need to spread love to each other. So yes, stick together, enjoy the ride and smile,” he said.Asked what message he had for City supporters traveling to Anfield, where the team could face a hostile reception, the Norwegian reiterated the need to stay united and maintain a positive outlook.“We have to stick together, we have to stay with each other and we have to stay positive.“No matter what happens in life, we always have to smile. So we have to stay positive, look ahead and try to win football games and then enjoy the situation and the game.”Maresca also addressed the controversy for the first time in an interview released by City, with domestic football suspended for the past three weeks due to an extended international break.The manager said he remains calm about the situation and is confident the club will resolve the matter.“Personally, I’m very calm to be honest,” he said. “The club has been quite clear. We have full confidence in the club. We understand the noise but we are only focusing on what we can control and we can only control the football side.”Maresca added that the mood in the squad was “fantastic” ahead of the tough fixtures, with City taking on Liverpool on Sunday and taking on Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday.City have won all seven games in all competitions this season and are currently top of the Premier League.According to Maresca, the players continue to focus on their performances rather than the developments around the club.“The players just focus on that. They know what we can control is the football side – they don’t worry about the other stuff at all,” he said.“They know their profession and they know there’s noise, but they don’t care too much about the noise.”Maresca is expected to face more questions about the case when he meets with reporters at his pregame press conference on Friday.