Maresca dismisses backlash over City's Anfield celebrations

Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has rejected suggestions that his squad behaved improperly following their victory over Liverpool. The team secured a 3-0 win at Anfield on Sunday, marking their first match since an independent commission found them guilty of 114 breaches of Premier League financial regulations.

Manager defends player conduct

Pundits and opposing fans criticized the extent of the celebrations in the dressing room and on the pitch. Maresca questioned the basis for this disapproval, noting the significance of winning away against a top rival. "Criticised for what? We won 0-3 Anfield. What do you want us to do?" he asked. He emphasized that the result would have been treated with similar joy regardless of the scoreline, stating, "Even if it was 0-1, it was exactly the same."

The Italian coach highlighted the daily focus required to achieve such results. "We work every day to win games. It's the only thing... we can be focused," Maresca said. He described the atmosphere within the team as intensely happy, adding that outsiders could not imagine the mood inside the changing room.

Captain Dias backs manager stance

Team captain Ruben Dias echoed his manager’s sentiment, insisting there was no reason for apology. "I very much stand by the manager's words as well," Dias stated. He affirmed that any win at Anfield, whether early or late in the season, would be celebrated with equal enthusiasm. According to Dias, these reactions demonstrate how much the victories mean to the players.

Dias addressed the ongoing legal situation directly, becoming the first member of Maresca’s squad to speak publicly about the verdict. Despite potential penalties including relegation or expulsion from the league, he maintained that the group remains calm. The defender asserted that the players trust the club hierarchy while appealing against the ruling that they benefited from more than £900m in disguised funding through sham sponsorship contracts.

Focus amid external noise

Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku, and Rayan Cherki scored the goals during the second half of the match. Dias explained that professional athletes must build resilience against external distractions, including accusations of cheating from opposition crowds. "When you build yourself as a player, you build yourself against any kind of noise," he said.

He clarified that the collective mindset is centered on enjoying football and maximizing the team's potential. "Personally, and I really feel like I speak for the whole group, we're very calm. We trust the club... we're very focused on enjoying football," Dias added. The captain concluded that winning remains the sole objective for the squad.