Pressure is mounting on Manchester City in the wake of their conviction over the 115 financial charges. Enzo Maresca has leapt to the club's defence, insisting their titles are untainted and backing the hierarchy to win the appeal and close this controversial file.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Maresca said he had 100% confidence in the club's owners, chief executive and sporting director. That belief, he stressed, had been one of the main reasons he took on the job.
He added: "I spoke with the club, and we all trust in our ability to get past this case. And perhaps the right time to talk about it again will be when we win the appeal."
The Italian refused to question the legitimacy of City's achievements. He knows exactly how much work and effort went into winning those titles, he said, with the squad still focused on matters on the pitch rather than the legal row.
An independent panel found City guilty of breaching the Premier League's financial regulations between the 2009-2010 and 2017-2018 seasons. The charges included submitting misleading accounts and signing what the ruling called fictitious contracts, part of a scheme to conceal funding worth more than £830 million.
City have appealed, branding the decision unsound and riddled with fundamental errors of law, principle and fact.
Maresca's words land ahead of Sunday's eagerly awaited clash with Liverpool, City's first match since the ruling. Expect a charged atmosphere at Anfield.