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Mikel Arteta has clear conscience over Man City financial charges

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta insists his conscience is clear regarding Manchester City's Premier League rule breaches during his spell as assistant coach.

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10 Oct 2026Source: BBC Sport2 min read (0 views)
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Mikel Arteta has clear conscience over Man City financial charges

Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event

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  • Mikel Arteta insists his conscience is clear over Man City charges
  • Arteta served as Pep Guardiola's assistant from 2016 to 2019
  • City were found guilty of concealing over £830m in hidden funding
  • Arsenal prepare to face Leeds United at Emirates Stadium on Saturday

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has firmly stated that his conscience is completely clear regarding Manchester City's historical Premier League rule breaches, which occurred during the period when he served as assistant manager at the Etihad Stadium.

The Spanish coach worked under Pep Guardiola between 2016 and 2019, an era that overlaps directly with the nine seasons during which Manchester City were found by an independent commission to have arranged sham commercial contracts and disguised secret funding exceeding £830 million.

£830m+Secret funding disguised by Man City during the period

During his first media appearance since the landmark ruling—against which the club has formally appealed—Arteta initially attempted to deflect questions, emphasizing his desire to respect an ongoing legal process that the club is actively contesting.

Arsenal manager press conference media room interior

Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event

However, near the conclusion of a questioning session lasting over half an hour, a reporter pressed him directly: "You were at City for three and a half years, is your conscience clear? You had a senior position there, is your conscience clear?" His response was famously brief and definitive.

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"I prefer not to answer those questions."

Mikel Arteta

Arteta's carefully calculated responses highlight the delicate tightrope he must walk between defending his professional integrity from his time at Manchester City and maintaining absolute focus on leading Arsenal's current title challenge. His reluctance to elaborate further underscores the intense legal and media scrutiny surrounding English football's most significant regulatory case.

Despite the ongoing controversy, Arteta added that he remains 100 percent convinced that the Premier League is still the best domestic football competition in the world. Arsenal currently sit three points behind league leaders Manchester City and are preparing to face fifth-placed Leeds United on Saturday at Emirates Stadium.

Source: BBC Sport

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