Former Manchester City forward Paul Dikov has voiced his support for the club amidst an ongoing investigation into financial misconduct, insisting that the hierarchy must have solid grounds for their appeal against the Premier League's independent commission verdict.
City have been found guilty of serious violations of financial rules spanning from the 2009/10 season to 2017/18. However, the club denies any wrongdoing and has lodged an appeal.
Under the Premier League's newly expedited procedures, the appeal hearing is expected to occur within the next 12 weeks, with a final ruling anticipated within 30 days after the conclusion of those hearings.
Speaking in an interview with 247Bet, Dikov expressed his belief in the position of his former club.
"I think you have to maintain faith. I look at the statement from the owners after everything that happened, then at Ferran [Soriano], the CEO's video, and the appeal itself. My personal opinion— and I'm not saying this with rose-tinted glasses— is that they must have something on which they based their appeal," he stated.
Dikov argued that the City hierarchy would not be so confident in defending their position if they didn't believe there were valid arguments behind their appeal.
"The people running Manchester City are genuinely good specialists. I firmly believe that with such confidence in their position, they must believe they have grounds for this appeal," added the former player.
"Whatever happens next, the fans will stand by the club. I've had the privilege of seeing just how strong Manchester City fans are, even when I played during a time when the team wasn't achieving success," he said.
Dikov reminisced about the times when City struggled in the third tier of English football, now known as League One.
"We were sitting 12th in what is now League One, and still gathered around 30,000 fans each week," he recalled.
According to Dikov, the fan support will remain steadfast even in the direst scenarios.
He also touched upon the subject of possible historical title revocations and the stripping of City’s players’ medals.
In recent discussions, some have called for the club to forfeit its championship titles and medals acquired by players. However, Dikov considers this outcome unlikely.
"I hear many people discussing that titles should be taken away, medals rescinded, points deducted, and so on. I don't think it's feasible to go back and change history like that," he commented.
Nonetheless, Dikov emphasised that the ultimate outcome of the case remains uncertain.
"No one knows what will happen. I don't know the appeal's result, what the sanctions will be, or when they will come into effect. Right now, nobody knows that," he reflected.
The ex-player also criticised the abundance of public predictions regarding potential punishments for the club.
"Right now, it's a lot of speculation, and I find it amusing when so-called experts share their opinions, even though they have no knowledge of what the result will be," he quipped.
Dikov acknowledged understanding the reactions from rival fans advocating for stringent sanctions against City.
"If it's your club, you'll defend it to the end. If Liverpool, Arsenal, or any other club were in City's place, City fans would likely say the same thing," he remarked.
He noted that football fans traditionally side with their own clubs, leading to a natural division in reactions to City’s situation.
Now, Manchester City must await the results of their appeal. Under the current expedited process, a decision is expected in early 2027.
In the meantime, the team will continue their Premier League campaign, with their next match at Anfield against Liverpool this Sunday, while the investigation remains one of the club's primary talking points.
