Erling Haaland sends defiant message to fans following Man City guilty verdict

An independent Commission has found City guilty of all charges related to serious breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules.

Erling Haaland has urged Manchester City fans to "stick together" and "stay positive" after the club were found guilty of all charges related to serious breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules.

It was announced last month that City have been found guilty of all charges relating to serious breaches of the Premier League's financial rules following a ruling by an independent commission.

The commission found that between 2009-10 and 2017-18, the club arranged "sham" contracts with commercial partners as part of a "disguised funding scheme" to artificially inflate the club's revenues by £830million.

Last week, City confirmed that they have appealed the decision regarding breaches of Premier League rules.

READ MORE: 'I feel cheated' – Former Premier League manager speaks out after Man City charges verdict

So, when will we hear more? As mentioned in a statement by the Premier League, the independent appeal board hearing will remain private and confidential until publication of the outcome is permitted.

A section of the Premier League regulations says that an appeal hearing should conclude within 12 weeks of it being heard, and a decision communicated within 30 days of that, although that timeframe can change if deemed necessary.

Ahead of their trip to Liverpool on Sunday, a defiant Erling Haaland wanted to send a message to the Manchester City fan base.

"I think they [the City fans travelling to Anfield] are gonna have a good time," Haaland told City's media channel. "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 have a smile. We have to stay positive, look ahead and try to win football games and try to enjoy the situation and win the game.

"We have to stick together, and we have to spread the love to each other. So yeah, stick together, enjoy the ride and smile."

Haaland also touched on his connection with Manchester. "I care a lot about this place – the UK generally," he added. "My mother as well [as my father], they lived here for ten years – they lived in Nottingham and Leeds.

"They never lived in Manchester, but obviously my father trained over at Carrington every day. I spent my first four years here, my brother nine and my sister six, so it's a special place for us.

"I care a lot about City, I have to say. I care a lot about the fans because I'm a fan myself – I feel with them as well."

It remains unclear whether Haaland will be fit in time for City's Premier League clash against Liverpool on Sunday after he asked to be brought off in Norway's defeat to Portugal.

The striker has been allowed a short holiday before he returns to the Etihad Campus on Thursday, according to a report from The Sun.

Norway boss Stale Solbakken confirmed that Haaland was given the option to start on the bench against Portugal, but refused.

“Erling could perhaps have played the last 45 minutes against Portugal. That was a discussion," he said. “But he has very bad vibes and feelings about that. He has experienced being put on in the League Cup, and it wasn't great."

Topics: Erling Haaland, Man City, Premier League, Liverpool

Jack Kenmare is a Senior Journalist at SPORTbible, covering a range of different sports, including football, darts and athletics. In his role at SPORTbible, Jack specialises in long-form feature writing, with some of his previous interviews featuring some of the biggest and most relevant names in sport. He graduated with a BA Hons (2:1) in Journalism and News Practice from Teesside University. He joined SPORTbible in 2015 to cover news and trending stories.

Ferguson has praised Keane in his new book, Games of My Life.

Pascal Ferré has explained why he would not vote for the Real Madrid star despite his extraordinary goalscoring record.

The Portugal legend didn't hold back after Simon Jordan's viral argument with Piers Morgan.

Manchester United are willing to give Bruno Fernandes a long-term contract.