Pep Guardiola to return to the Etihad for Man City-PSG, his first visit since leaving the dugout

The Etihad Stadium is set for a special visitor this Wednesday. According to sources consulted by ESPN, Pep Guardiola plans to attend the Champions League match between Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, marking his first return to the stadium since he left the dugout at the end of last season.

It's no ordinary match to come back for. This will be City's first home game since the verdict came down finding the club guilty of breaching Premier League financial rules, a ruling that hit the club like a bucket of cold water and still has several chapters left to be written.

As soon as the independent commission's findings were published, Guardiola didn't stay quiet. He came out publicly in support of his former club with a social media message that made his position clear:

I want every Manchester City fan around the world to know that I am here more than ever. I have always been, and will always be, behind my club, my owner, my chairman, Ferran [Soriano], the players, the staff, Enzo [Maresca] and you, our one of a kind fans. Make no mistake: we will get through this together. I love you all.Pep Guardiola

The timing of his return to the Etihad stands, right after that ruling, hasn't gone unnoticed. The club has maintained its innocence throughout the process and has already filed a formal appeal. Both chairman Khaldoon Al-Mubarak and CEO Ferran Soriano have publicly insisted that City will ultimately be cleared.

A case with deep roots

The alleged financial irregularities at the heart of the Premier League's case date back to 2009 to 2018. Guardiola didn't take charge of City until 2016, but that hasn't stopped the episode from directly staining the image of a club with which he built a golden decade: 20 titles in 10 years at the helm of the first team.

Before that reunion in Manchester, City still has another demanding fixture to get through. The team travels to face Liverpool at Anfield this Sunday, and only three days later will it return to the Etihad to host PSG, the reigning European champion, in a match loaded with extra context given everything surrounding the club these days.