Maresca says 'feeling is fantastic' among Man City squad

Manchester City head coach Enzo Maresca says the "feeling is fantastic" among his players and they "don't care too much about the noise" surrounding the club after it was found guilty of the majority of the 115 charges brought against it by the Premier League.

The club's international players returned to training on Thursday, nine days after the Premier League published a damning report that stated the club had used "sham" contracts to disguise secret funding of more than £830m.

BBC Sport reported this week that Maresca would address the players upon their return to domestic duty after news of the verdict broke while the majority of the squad were away with their respective nations.

It is understood the City head coach asked his players not to allow the crisis that has engulfed the club to affect their attitude and focus as the Premier League campaign gets back under way this weekend.

"The feeling is fantastic, to be honest," Maresca said in an in-house interview when asked about the mood among his squad prior to their trip to face Liverpool on Sunday (16:30 BST).

"The players are excited for the next two games. But especially they are excited because in this moment we are top of the league. The players are just focused on that.

"They know what we can control is the football side - they are not worried at all about different things.

"They know their profession and they know that the noise is there, but they don't care too much about the noise. They are just focused in this moment on how we can beat Liverpool and how, together with the fans, we can try to win in Anfield."

Maresca added he felt "calm" and his squad trusts the club "completely".

City have launched an appeal and have publicly maintained their innocence.

The private communication to those with links to the playing staff at City has been equally as emphatic, it is understood.

Speaking to Sky Sports, striker Erling Haaland echoed his manager's sentiments, saying: "I care a lot about this place. I spent my first four years here, it's a special place for us. I care a lot about City and the fans. I am a fan myself. I feel with them.

"The fans will have a good time on Sunday - we have to stick together. We have to stay with each other and stay positive. No matter what happens in life, we always have to smile. Stay positive, look ahead, and try to win football games and enjoy the situation.

"We have to stick together and spread the love to each other. Enjoy the ride and smile."

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What have other Premier League managers said?

As Premier League football returns following a three-week hiatus, rival clubs are proving reluctant to let their managers speak about the City verdict publicly.

Managers and head coaches - including Maresca on Friday - will be asked to comment on the matter during compulsory pre-match press conferences.

But it is understood a number of clubs have already taken a clear stance for their managers not to comment.

Some Premier League news conferences were held on Thursday, but Leeds head coach Daniel Farke and Newcastle head coach Matthias Jaissle both steered clear of commenting at length on the matter.

Coventry boss Frank Lampard - who played for City in the 2014-15 season - said the players will not feel they have lost their titles even if the club is stripped of them because it is part of their personal history.

City have yet to be punished but BBC Sport has been told there has been little appetite from within the Premier League - both the organisation and its clubs - for past titles to be taken from them.

"I have titles and I don't have my titles hanging on my wall at home, I have them in my head," said Lampard, who won the Premier League three times with Chelsea.

"You are competing against the best in the Premier League and a lot of things are out of [your] control but you are competing against the best and they're very hard to win.

"So I think it would be very hard to take someone's title away as a player individually as they should be in your head as opposed to in a beautiful glass cabinet or whatever. I know there are some who do that."

Lampard made 38 appearances and scored eight goals when he joined City in 2014 after 13 years at Chelsea.

He earlier said: "What can you say when an appeal is going on? I'm not inside the story, I'm outside it completely.

"I played for Man City a long time ago now for one year, but we'll wait and see what the result of the appeal is and onwards. I don't know the timelines at all.