Former Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart says he trusts chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak’s insistence that the club is innocent of breaching Premier League financial rules.
Manchester City have been found guilty of the majority of the 115 alleged financial rule breaches brought against them by the Premier League, although the club is set to appeal the ruling.
Al Mubarak has maintained that City remain committed to “proving the club’s innocence” and stressed that the legal process still has “a long way to run”.
Hart, who made 348 appearances for City in all competitions between 2006 and 2016, told BBC Radio 5 Live’s Monday Night Club that he has no reason to doubt the chairman.
“I’ve heard everyone else go down every single rabbit hole, every single wormhole, every single discussion,” Hart said.
“My honest opinion is I’ve got no reason not to trust Khaldoon. What he said is enough for me.
“I loved how he spoke. I loved the letter because that was from someone who cared about the club.”
Hart enjoyed a trophy-laden spell at the Etihad Stadium, winning the Premier League in 2011-12 and 2013-14, the League Cup in 2013-14 and 2015-16, and the FA Cup in 2010-11.
The 39-year-old said he does not believe his achievements with City have been tarnished and intends to allow the ongoing process to play out.
“If Man City are found guilty, which I don’t think they are because of what Khaldoon said, then there’s conversations to be had,” Hart said.
“But right now I’m very confident and very, very calm. I’m very proud of what I’ve achieved and what I did with Manchester City and what we achieved as a team. And that doesn’t change. That doesn’t change until you tell me.”
City were accused of a wide range of financial rule breaches, including allegations that the club inflated sponsorship revenue from connected companies and made undisclosed payments in an effort to circumvent financial regulations.
Hart said he has not discussed the developments with his former City team-mates because he does not want to become involved in speculation while the process remains unresolved.
“I did what I did. I lined up 11 v 11 and had it out on the pitch. I won some games, lost some games, drew some games, and I shook hands and I walked off,” he said.
“I know what I did, I know what we did, and I know how it happened. It didn’t feel like we were scheming or plotting.”
With Manchester City preparing to appeal the ruling, Hart remains confident in both the club’s position and the achievements of the team he represented for a decade.
