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Rúben Dias revealed that Manchester City players were eager to address the Premier League's guilty verdict against the club "as soon as" the international break had concluded.
The initial leak of the undisclosed guilty verdict, followed by the official Premier League statement—which detailed "sham" sponsorship deals and prolonged financial misconduct spanning nearly a decade—broke while most players were scattered across the globe with their respective national teams.
"When the news broke, we felt we needed to have a discussion as soon as we returned," Dias explained, as City prepare to welcome Paris Saint-Germain to the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday—the club's first home fixture since the verdict was announced. Pep Guardiola will be present in a show of solidarity.
The center back said the conversation was necessary to ensure the entire squad is "on the same page and clear about our peace of mind." He added: "We moved forward from there. It happened at a time when we weren't together, but we quickly spoke to one another, settled down and pressed on."
It's a complicated situation, as City continue to deny any wrongdoing and contest what they describe as an injustice stemming from a single "false accusation," while the soccer schedule rolls on regardless. The appeal verdict must be delivered before the end of January, though that may not necessarily mark the end of the process, with proceedings potentially dragging on considerably longer.
Dias and his teammates must continue playing throughout, which potentially undermines the Premier League's credibility given what the club has been found guilty of. The longer it remains unresolved, the more uncomfortable the entire situation becomes.
Many City supporters have responded with jubilant defiance. A banner displayed in the away end at Anfield read, "In Khaldoon [Al Mubarak] we trust," paying tribute to the long-standing club chairman. Others chanted in support of Sheikh Mansour. There was even an adaptation of the well-known Hull City chant—"You're getting mauled by the [cheat]ahs"—ringing out in the second half.
At Anfield for Sky Sports on Sunday, pundit Gary Neville described it as "difficult" to separate the quality City are producing on the pitch from the guilty verdict and what the club's behavior—comparable to financial doping engineered to fuel artificially accelerated growth and enhanced spending power—has inflicted on the English soccer landscape. "This is really bad for the Premier League."
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Dias suggested that the City squad can do little else but concentrate on playing—and winning—matches. Yet there is also an element of falling in line with the club's unwavering official stance.
"We are very good at focusing on our work and finding joy whenever we come in. Our minds are solely on that. These are the things we can control and that we have always taken great pleasure in doing," he said. "We have complete confidence in the club."
There was criticism directed at the post-match celebrations following the convincing victory over Liverpool. "We won 3–0 at Anfield, what do you expect us to do?" manager Enzo Maresca reflected. "We work every day to win matches. It's the only thing we can be focused on."
The Italian suggested the situation is harder on the fans than it is on the players or coaching staff. Dias acknowledged that it is "impossible to avoid everything" when it comes to the external noise.
He also maintained that it is no different from how things have always been "because people don't love that we win and we love to win. It's a normal scenario, where there are people who aren't happy about it because they share the same ambition."