The unnamed coach delivered an angry response to the prospect of City being stripped of honours after an independent commission found the club guilty of charges relating to financial-rule breaches.
Manchester City have appealed against the findings, maintaining their denial of wrongdoing. The case concerns alleged breaches spanning the period from 2009 to 2018, and the appeal will determine whether the verdict and any resulting sanctions stand.
According to The Times, the former staff member made his position clear when discussing the possibility of having his medals taken away.
“If they [the Premier League] think they are getting my medals back, they can f*** off,” the coach said.
The blunt response reflects the determination among some people associated with Guardiola’s time at the club to challenge the findings rather than accept the possibility of retrospective punishment.
City won three Premier League titles during the period under scrutiny. Manchester United finished runners-up in two of those seasons, in 2012 and 2018, while Liverpool finished second in 2014.
Those results have fuelled discussion about whether titles could be reassigned if Manchester City’s appeal fails and sanctions include the removal of honours. A substantial fine and a points deduction have also been raised as potential punishments, although the final consequences have not been determined.
Guardiola has sought to reassure supporters amid the uncertainty, posting a message on social media telling them they would “get through this together”.
The former coach was not the only person linked to Guardiola’s staff to express confidence that City would avoid the most severe consequences.
The Times also reported comments from a long-serving senior member of the club’s medical team, who was said to have discussed the case with friends over dinner several months earlier.
“We won’t get done. Maybe a fine or something. Nothing more serious than that,” the staff member reportedly said.
The comments suggest that at least some people who worked closely with the club remain convinced the outcome will not involve the most damaging sporting sanctions.
However, City’s appeal means the case remains unresolved. The club’s legal challenge must run its course before the final position becomes clear, leaving the possibility of punishment — and the question of what happens to titles won during the period — hanging over the club.
For the former coach, the prospect of losing medals is clearly a line he is unwilling to accept quietly.