Manchester City have been rocked by news of their guilt in the 115 case but there are more concerns for Enzo Maresca and his players

It has been a miserable few weeks for Manchester City and their fans. The club that sits on top of the Premier League table after five games has been thrown into turmoil with publication of a 40-page decision from an independent panel that find City overwhelmingly guilty in the 115 case.

Rivals are so delighted that nobody is even pretending to get angry about that Elliot Anderson handball shout against Sunderland last month because the consequences of the expert verdict will be catastrophic. City are appealing and insist they have irrefutable evidence, but their chances of success cannot be too high given that evidence has already been categorically refuted.

And in the months it takes for that to happen, City’s guilt will be talked about on a daily basis. Premier League club executives are discussing – under the cover of anonymity, of course – what punishments they would want to see the Blues face and points deductions are being gaily speculated on.

Enzo Maresca and his players have to shut out all of that noise and concentrate on trying to win two football matches a week, starting at Anfield on Sunday. But even as the players try to keep calm and carry on, their rivals are also ploughing ahead.

Premier League champions Arsenal have been publicly silent on the guilty verdicts with the process ongoing, but on Wednesday they announced a new contract for Mikel Arteta. Already the longest serving manager in the division by some distance following the departures of Jurgen Klopp and then Pep Guardiola, the former City assistant is now signed up at the Emirates until 2030.

In a statement announcing the news, CEO Richard Garlick said: “We want to create a winning era together with Mikel… Mikel has the belief, determination and the understanding of what it takes to build something remarkable and enduring here, and we are excited to continue that journey together.”

As City’s golden era is tainted, the last thing they want to be hearing about is the start of another one in North London. And, despite a 3-0 defeat for the title favourites at Brighton before the international break, it is Arsenal who remain the team to beat for City and any of the chasing pack, with the stability at the club giving them a critical advantage.

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The punishments handed out – or not – to City at the end of the appeal process will determine how far the gap to the very top is, but in the meantime they have to keep making progress under Maresca to stay as competitive as they want to be. As difficult as it might seem with so many pitchforks out for City, Arsenal’s commitment to Arteta is a reminder that there are more than just guilty verdicts for City to be concerned about.

Para-shooters have sought an urgent independent inquiry into alleged financial corruption, extortion and manipulation in the selection process for the Para Asian Games, prompting the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) to reject the charges and insist that the team was picked entirely on merit.

In a representation to the Director General of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) on Wednesday, the shooters alleged “illicit monetary extortion”, “brazen corruption” and violations of Sports Ministry’s guidelines by PCI officials and its Shooting Technical Committee (STC) in selections for the Aichi-Nagoya Para Asian Games, scheduled from October 18 to 24.

The representation alleged that athletes were being pressured to pay a 20 per cent commission from government cash awards as a precondition for selection, while also accusing officials of manipulating international quota places and qualifying scores to favour certain shooters.

“Athletes are being coerced under severe duress into paying an illegal kickback of 20 per cent of their sanctioned government cash awards to designated committee office-bearers as a mandatory pre-condition for national team selection,” the representation alleged.

The shooters further claimed that international wild-card slots were allocated on the basis of financial considerations rather than ranking and performance, and alleged that two of the 15 international quota places available to India were surrendered because the next-ranked athletes refused to meet the alleged financial demands.

They also accused the selection committee of discarding prescribed Ministry criteria, manipulating qualifying scores and replacing an earlier selection panel without recorded justification.

According to the shooters, the representation questioned the appointment of an individual as a technical expert and Director of Operations despite having no record of participation in an official competitive shooting event.

Sandeep Kumar, a P4 50m free pistol SH1 shooter ranked third in Asia, alleged bias in the selection process. He claimed Rudrankksh Khandelwal, ranked 14th in Asia, was selected ahead of Akash, the Asian No. 1, and himself.

Sandeep said he was “deeply aggrieved” by what he described as arbitrary decisions and violations of the selection rules.

PCI president Devendra Jhajharia, however, rejected the allegations, maintaining that the selection process was transparent and based entirely on the prescribed criteria.

“The selection has been done as per the criteria. There has been no discrimination against anyone. The selections are 100 per cent fair and according to the Sports Ministry’s guidelines,” Jhajharia, a two-time Paralympics javelin gold-medallist, told PTI.

He also denied Sandeep’s allegation that he had been dropped in favour of a shooter with links to the coach.

“Those are all false allegations,” Jhajharia said.

The shooters, meanwhile, have warned that they could seek judicial intervention if the allegations are not addressed, saying they would consider approaching the High Court under Article 226 of the Constitution for a writ of mandamus and a court-monitored investigation.

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Enzo Maresca cut a relaxed figure as he greeted the cameras at Manchester City‘s training ground on Thursday.

The Manchester City boss was photographed grinning and offering a thumbs up as the squad came back together following the extended international break.

Friday will bring the manager’s first press conference since the club was found guilty on multiple charges of breaking Premier League financial rules across a nine-year period.

Manchester City have insisted they are innocent and have submitted an appeal, but speculation has been rife across football about the sanctions they might face.

A febrile atmosphere is expected at Anfield on Sunday, when City face fierce rivals Liverpool.

Maresca will hope his players can put the furore to one side and pick up where they left off in the Premier League, having won all of their opening five matches to sit top of the table.

Manchester City are currently three points clear of defending champions Arsenal, while they hold a six-point advantage over Liverpool heading into Sunday’s clash.

Manchester City’s fixtures list does not get any easier as they are due to face two-time Champions League winners PSG at the Etihad Stadium next Wednesday.

Former Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, who has publicly iterated his support of the club after the verdict was announced, is understood to be attending the Champions League game with PSG next week.

In a statement released last week, Guardiola wrote on social media: “I want every single Manchester City fan across the world to know I am here; more than ever,” he wrote on Instagram.

“I am, always have been, always will, be behind my club, my owner, my chairman, Ferran, the players, staff, Enzo and you, our unique supporters.

“Let me be clear: we will get through this together. I love you all.”

Manchester City have responded to the verdict by doubling down on their innocence, saying they were “both disappointed and surprised by the opinion of the Premier League Commission” in a statement.

The club says they have “a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence” that supports their position and will be “relentless” in their appeal.

The fallout between Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo and head coach Jorge Jesus took a new turn after Ronaldo accused the manager of breaking his word and presenting a false version of events in a 1,740-word statement issued to Portuguese media.

Ronaldo, 41, apologised to his teammates and supporters for leaving the Portugal camp midway through the Nations League fixtures but provided a detailed account of the events that led to his decision.

He claimed Jesus had promised him 30 minutes against Norway on September 27, only to leave him on the bench for the entire match. Ronaldo also alleged that, after the game, he and Jesus agreed on how the incident would be explained publicly, but that the coach later failed to honour that understanding.

Despite the bitter dispute, Ronaldo said he would not retire from international football and remained available for Portugal after serving any punishment imposed by the federation.

How the Ronaldo-Jesus row began

Ronaldo said he had supported the decision to appoint Jesus as Portugal coach after Roberto Martinez’s departure, describing it as the right choice.

According to Ronaldo, he later met Jesus and Simao Coutinho, the sporting director at his Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr, to discuss his role in Portugal’s four Nations League matches against Wales, Norway, Denmark and Norway.

Ronaldo claimed Jesus initially proposed that he would play in the first and fourth matches while not travelling to Norway and Denmark for the second and third fixtures.

The Portugal captain said he rejected the proposal because he did not believe it would set the right example for him to miss a national team trip even if he was not expected to play.

Ronaldo left on the bench against Norway

Despite the alleged agreement, Ronaldo remained an unused substitute as Portugal beat Norway 2-1. Ronaldo said Jesus had failed to keep his word and admitted that he was frustrated after the match.

He also acknowledged that he made a mistake by not going over to greet the supporters, apologising to Portuguese fans and those who had travelled specifically to watch him.

Jesus later explained that he had decided against bringing Ronaldo on because the circumstances of the match had changed and he no longer believed it was the right moment to introduce him. The explanation did little to settle the situation.

Ronaldo claims second meeting was held

Ronaldo said he, Jesus and Coutinho held another meeting 48 hours after the Norway game. He described the conversation as frank and said the three men agreed that Jesus would address the controversy at a press conference and explain what had happened.

According to Ronaldo, the agreed version was that he had never demanded playing time, that his schedule had been decided by Jesus and that it had been a mistake to make him warm up without eventually bringing him onto the pitch.

Ronaldo said a short document summarising what Jesus was expected to say was prepared, approved by him and handed to the coach. He also claimed Jesus ended the meeting by hugging him and promising to give that version of events to the media.

Ronaldo accuses Jesus of breaking his word

Ronaldo said he was subsequently disappointed by the way Jesus addressed the matter publicly. He described the coach’s approach as aggressive and said he did not deserve the tone adopted by Jesus.

The forward said the situation convinced him to leave the Portugal camp rather than wait for what he considered another breach of trust. Ronaldo stressed that his dispute was not about interfering in the coach’s tactical or technical decisions.

He said he had never attempted to influence such decisions during his international career and had always accepted what Portugal managers asked him to do.

However, he added that when a coach broke his word to him, he felt that his place was no longer there.

Ronaldo apologises for leaving Portugal camp

While making strong accusations against Jesus, Ronaldo accepted responsibility for his own actions.

He apologised to his teammates and Portugal supporters for leaving the camp after the Norway match.

Ronaldo said his behaviour should be assessed by the Portuguese Football Federation and that he would accept whatever punishment was imposed.

He also claimed that he had previously given Jesus and the federation an opportunity to tell him that his services were no longer required. According to Ronaldo, both responded that his place remained with the national team.

Ronaldo to not retire from international football

The dispute also raised questions over whether Ronaldo’s departure from the camp could mark the end of his Portugal career.

Ronaldo made clear that he was not retiring from international football. He said he hoped to have one or more farewell matches for Portugal in the future, while insisting that his immediate focus remained on competing for the national team.

Ronaldo revealed that he had actually drafted a letter announcing his international retirement but was persuaded to abandon the idea by Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proenca during a flight back from the United States.

He said that, provided he remained physically fit and continued playing for his club, he would be available for Portugal after serving any suspension that may be imposed.

What Pedro Proenca said

The Portuguese federation has attempted to frame the dispute as a misunderstanding. Proenca said the disagreement between Ronaldo and Jesus was a “misunderstanding” and indicated that the forward could return to the national team.

He said the federation, coach and player would need to sit down and calmly find the best solution after the completion of the Nations League fixtures.

Proenca also reiterated that Ronaldo remained part of Portugal’s plans and would be available to the manager when required.

What happens next

Ronaldo’s statement has now put his version of the dispute firmly into the public domain. The forward has apologised for leaving the camp, accepted the possibility of punishment and denied that he intends to end his international career.

At the same time, his accusations against Jesus have added another layer to an already tense relationship between the Portugal captain and his coach.

The next step will depend on how Jesus and the Portuguese Football Federation respond to Ronaldo’s claims and whether the three sides can resolve the dispute before Portugal’s next international assignment.

NEW DELHI: Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin believes Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s return to international cricket could open the door for a remarkable comeback to India’s ODI squad and potentially take the veteran pacer to next year’s 50-over World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.Bhuvneshwar, who returned to India colours after nearly four years when he was picked for the upcoming five-match T20I series in New Zealand, last played an ODI against South Africa at Paarl in 2022.Ashwin feels the selectors will be watching Bhuvneshwar closely in New Zealand and that a successful series could immediately put him in contention for the ODI side ahead of the World Cup.“He is going to New Zealand now. I am telling you, if he does well, everyone will immediately say, just take him for the ODI team as well. The selectors will be watching very closely,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

‘Nobody can stop’ Bumrah-Bhuvneshwar combination

Ashwin went a step further, saying Bhuvneshwar’s ability to swing the ball and maintain decent pace could make him a valuable option in conditions in South Africa and Australia.“If he swings the ball and shows decent fitness, nobody can stop Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar from sitting together on that flight to the World Cup, with Bhuvneshwar bowling the first ball of the World Cup,” said Ashwin.The 36-year-old seamer has played 121 ODIs and taken 141 wickets. His ability to move the ball both ways, particularly with the new ball, is a skill Ashwin believes could be particularly useful in conditions where seam and swing can play a major role.“Do you want swing? He has swing. If you want it to move one way, he can do that. If you want it to move both ways, he can do that too. And then he has decent pace,” he added.Bhuvneshwar’s recent performances in the IPL have also strengthened his case for an international comeback. He played a key role in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s back-to-back IPL titles, taking 17 wickets in the 2025 season and 28 in 2026.

Ashwin highlights one major concern

While Ashwin remains bullish about Bhuvneshwar’s skill set, he stressed that fitness could be crucial if the pacer is to extend his international career and push for a place at the World Cup.“I am once again putting my neck on the line to say this: if he had worked a little harder, if the timing had been right and if he had avoided those injuries, with the skill set he possesses, he could have been a king for India across all formats,” he said.Apart from 21 Tests and 121 ODIs, Bhuvneshwar has played 87 T20Is and taken 90 wickets. His return also gives India another experienced seamer alongside the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, while potentially offering guidance to younger pacers such as Mayank Yadav and Prince Yadav.India will play five T20Is against New Zealand later this month before the tour moves into the ODI and Test phases, giving Bhuvneshwar an immediate opportunity to make a case for a longer international comeback.