According to BBC reports, as the Premier League returns following a three-week hiatus, multiple clubs have instructed their managers not to comment on Manchester City's financial breach case.
Club managers are expected to face questions regarding the verdict in the Manchester City case during their pre-match press conferences. Nottingham Forest manager Oliver Glasner will face the media on Friday, though he told reporters earlier this week that he hopes the process concludes "as quickly as possible." Glasner, who made the switch from Crystal Palace to Nottingham Forest this summer, cited his past experience of being demoted from the Europa League to the Conference League due to multi-club ownership rule breaches. He remarked: “Let's wait for the final verdict, but I just hope it gets resolved quickly. Because with Crystal Palace, we didn't know whether we were playing in the Europa League or the Conference League; we were told 'you will know on Thursday,' and then it shifted to Monday because it kept getting delayed. In the end, we only received the final ruling 10 days before the Conference League started. So I believe the sooner it is settled, the better. It remains damaging to the Premier League, not just in England. This is a massive global talking point, especially across Europe. The most vital aspect is the integrity of the league, because once fans can no longer trust it, they will stop watching the games.”
Several managers already held their press conferences on Thursday, with Leeds United boss Daniel Farke and Newcastle United head coach Matthias Jaissle both steering clear of extended commentary on the situation. It is understood that several clubs have adopted a firm stance, instructing their managers to refrain from commenting on the matter. Coventry City manager Frank Lampard, who played for Manchester City during the 2014-15 season, expressed that even if the club were stripped of their titles, the players would not feel as though they had lost them, as those moments remain an indelible part of their personal history.
Lampard stated: "I have titles, but I don't hang my medals on the wall at home; they are in my mind. You are competing against the very best in the Premier League. A lot of things are outside your control, but you are competing against the elite and winning titles is incredibly difficult. So I think taking away a player's titles would be very hard, because that should stay in your mind, not in some pretty glass cabinet, even though I know some people like to do that."
