Enzo Maresca has been told he has two choices for how to handle his first press conference since Manchester City’s guilty verdict.
The Premier League announced last week that the club had been found guilty of all charges against them in their Financial Fair Play (FFP) case.
City have since appealed the ruling and are yet to be sanctioned for their offences.
However, the judgement will likely dominate Maresca’s return to media duties this week.
The Italian will speak to reporters on Friday, October 9 ahead of this weekend’s trip to Anfield.
City face Liverpool on Sunday, October 11, with kick-off at 4.30pm as they return to action following the international break.
Friday’s press conference will mark Maresca’s first since the news broke of the guilty verdict.
Pearce’s advice for Maresca
Ahead of his media duties, former City boss Stuart Pearce has joked he would be better off snubbing the responsibility altogether.
Pearce, who managed the club between 2005 and 2007, joined Rushden & Baker live on talkSPORT on Wednesday afternoon.
Discussing how Maresca should handle his press conference, he was asked if playing it straight would be the best approach.
The former England international joked: “There is always that or, alternatively, just don’t turn up for the press conference. Take your pick, one or the other.
“It’s difficult, everyone is straight bat in this question. Really, really difficult question to answer.
“I did a fans forum a couple of days ago and fans were sort of talking to other clubs, not Man City supporters but other clubs, and saying it’s tainted the Premier League, it’s tainted the performances of (Kevin) De Bruyne and blah, blah, blah.
“I said it really shouldn’t. Whatever the coaching staff, the manager, the players have done at Man City, that should stand alone to the charges.
“The people that have got to answer the charges are the hierarchy at Manchester City. They’ve got to put up with the consequences of that.
“I think that should be solely down to them rather than the players, the coaching staff and the manager, personally.”
City under Maresca
City were first charged with 115 breaches of the Premier League’s FFP rules in February 2023 for alleged offences between 2009 and 2018.
During the period in question, the club won three Premier League titles.
The last of those came under Pep Guardiola, who Maresca replaced in the dugout this summer.
Having returned to the club for a third spell, the ex-Chelsea boss has signed a three-year deal at the Etihad Stadium.
Maresca previously spent the 2020/21 season in charge of City’s Under-23 side before returning a year later as a first-team assistant.
Since being named manager, he has won seven of his eight matches across all competitions.
His only defeat at the helm came against Arsenal in the Community Shield, his first match in charge.
City have won each of their opening five Premier League fixtures this term, seeing them sit three points clear at the top of the table.
