Man City charges: Maresca says players focused on Liverpool test

Man City charges: Maresca says players focused on Liverpool testManchester City manager Enzo Maresca claims players unfazed by financial breaches verdict ahead of Liverpool showdown.Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has brushed off the guilty verdict hanging over the club and says he and the players are fully focused on football matters.City could face a severe points penalty and even expulsion from the Premier League after an independent commission found they used “sham” commercial contracts to inflate revenue and cut costs by over 900 million pounds ($1.2bn) between 2009 and 2018.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4CAS promises Senegal-Morocco AFCON title decision within dayslist 2 of 4UEFA details FIFA presidential candidate criteria in bid to oust Infantinolist 3 of 4‘Utmost respect’: Ronaldo pays tribute to Messi after Argentina farewelllist 4 of 4‘He is our idol:’ Why Lionel Messi means so much to fans in Indiaend of listCity, who top the league with five wins in five games, return to action for the first time since the guilty verdict was revealed when they travel to Liverpool on Sunday.The eight-time Premier League winners, who have appealed the decision, then play their first game in front of their own fans since the verdict, when they entertain back-to-back Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday.“I am very calm, the club has been quite calm. We trust completely the club,” Maresca told City’s in-house media on Thursday.“We understand the noise, but the focus for us is what we control and we control the football side.“The feeling is fantastic, to be honest.”Maresca, who was assistant to former manager Pep Guardiola during the 2022-2023 season, addressed the players for the first time since the verdict when they returned to training on Thursday following the international break.When asked about the reaction of the squad – many of whom have been linked with a move away from City if the club’s appeal fails – Maresca said they were “excited” given their start to the season.