Pep Guardiola reveals his plans for IF Manchester City are relegated to the National League

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has detailed his plans for life in the National League, should the club be severely punished as a result of their 115 charges.

The Premier League champions continue to find themselves at the centre of a widely covered legal battle with the English top-flight over numerous alleged breaches of the division’s financial regulations between a nine-year period.

City strongly deny all charges and have said their case is supported by a “comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence”, while the Premier League claim they breached rules requiring them to provide “accurate financial information that gives a true/fair view of their financial position”.

The formal hearing into Manchester City’s 115 charges – taking place in the City of London – began earlier this Autumn, and an outcome can be expected in the coming weeks with some believing that proceedings are already drawing to a close.

Much has been made of what the future could hold for Manchester City, should they be found guilty of the most serious charges, and whether the club faces a future in a lower division to the one they have dominated for several years.

Speaking ahead of Manchester City’s Premier League return against Tottenham on Saturday evening, Pep Guardiola explained what his intentions are for life at the club in the event of a drastic relegation through English football in the event of serious punishments in 2025.

“What happens if we get relegated? I will be here,” Guardiola insisted.

“Next year, we will come up – I don’t know the position, if it’s from the Conference (National League) that they’re going to bring us – we are going to come up, and we are going to come up, and we are going to come back to the Premier League.”

“I knew it then (when the charges were first issued), and I feel it now,” he explained.

The Manchester City manager has recently lifted spirits within the club amid an ongoing losing streak across competitions spanning four matches, by signing a new two-year agreement to remain at the Etihad Stadium.

The commitment to the club also ends a period of uncertainty surrounding the Catalan coach, with many media reports already speculating who could become his successor at the club, with a number of names mentioned including Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso.