Enrique, friend of former Man City boss Guardiola, hopes the club can avoid the sanction of losing their titles.
Paris St Germain manager Luis Enrique says Manchester City were deserving winners of their trophies and should be allowed to keep them, despite the English club facing sanctions after being found guilty of breaching Premier League financial rules.
Enrique said on Tuesday that there was a need to “respect the process and wait for the final decision” when asked about the verdict before PSG’s Champions League match against City.
“There are authorities responsible for making that decision, these decisions, and we have to wait, but if I speak only about football and the things that I saw on the pitch, Man City deserve those trophies,” the Spanish coach said, amid speculation that titles won during the charged period could be stripped.
City host PSG at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.
The Premier League said City had used “sham” commercial contracts as part of schemes to inflate revenue and understate costs by more than 900 million pounds ($1.19bn).
City, who have denied wrongdoing throughout the case and have appealed the verdict, could face punishments ranging from fines and a points deduction to relegation and potentially being stripped of their titles.
“I love the way they play football, and after that, you have to wait [for the] last decision and nothing else. I hope they can avoid that sanction.”
Former City boss Pep Guardiola, who left the club in May, is set to return to the Etihad for the match against PSG.
Enrique is a close friend and former Barcelona teammate of Guardiola.
Enzo Maresca has so far made a flawless start to the daunting task of succeeding Guardiola.
The Italian has won all eight games in all competitions, but Enrique dismissed suggestions that Wednesday’s match is the chance to lay down an early marker for either side.
“January is when you can really see the team’s level,” he added. “Five or six months down the line, things are so different. Many teams change.
“But it’s an interesting match at this stage, a fun one to watch.”