Manchester City verdict dominates England camp as Thomas Tuchel keeps selection door open

Manchester City’s financial rule breach verdict has become a major topic in the England camp, with manager Thomas Tuchel saying he would not automatically drop the club’s players even if they were relegated from the Premier League.

An independent commission found Manchester City guilty of all charges relating to breaches of the Premier League’s financial fair play regulations. The allegations cover nine seasons, from 2009-10 to 2017-18, while the club was also found guilty of three of four charges concerning a failure to co-operate with the investigation.

Manchester City, which denied all the allegations throughout the lengthy process, formally announced an appeal against the verdict last Friday. The club is seeking to overturn the decision and avoid potential sanctions that could include a points deduction or relegation.

The ruling has been discussed inside the England camp before their Nations League meeting with Croatia. England’s squad includes Manchester City players Elliot Anderson and Marc Guehi, while left-back Nico O’Reilly has left the camp and returned to his club because of injury.

Asked whether the players had been talking about the case, Tuchel told Reuters on Friday: “I think so. We had some time off between the matches and it is an important topic. Everybody is talking about it, so there is no need for another opinion. I am happy that I am not that opinion; nobody needs my limited information on this subject.”

He added: “Of course the players talk about it, the City players talk about it, and we talk to them, but only briefly. They are ready for tomorrow’s match. But of course, it is an important topic within the team.”

Tuchel was also asked whether he would continue selecting Manchester City players if the club were relegated from the Premier League.

“There is always a possibility,” he said. “I will always try to choose the best squad for the camp, for the occasion and for the tournament. I would never exclude that simply because they do not play in the top division in their country. We have to look at every case individually.”

England are second in Group C with three points from two matches. They began with a dramatic 3-2 defeat by Spain at Wembley before responding with a convincing 2-0 victory over Czech Republic last Tuesday.

The Three Lions will face Croatia in the coastal city of Rijeka in a match being played behind closed doors. Croatia were punished after their supporters were involved in disorder during their Nations League quarter-final against France in March 2025.

Tuchel also provided an update on the squad’s fitness, saying three days between matches had made “a big difference” by allowing the staff to manage high-performing players such as Anderson and Gordon.

“All the players trained today apart from O’Reilly, who had to leave the camp for treatment and to depart as quickly as possible,” he said. “The pain was severe and he could not take part in the match. All the other players started and completed training today at a high level.”