{
  "id": 10650636,
  "title": "Joe Hart backs chairman after statement on Man City financial breaches",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/joe-hart-backs-chairman-after-statement-on-man-city-financial-breaches",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-29T08:32:30.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/joe-hart-backs-chairman-statement-083230635.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Former Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart has expressed his belief that the club is innocent of the financial rule breaches alleged by the Premier League. This assertion was bolstered by a statement from the club's chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, which Hart found reassuring. The club has been under investigation since 2023, with 115 charges concerning violations of Premier League financial regulations from 2009-2018, a period in which City won eight trophies. While the league has not officially announced a ruling and the process is ongoing, reports suggest City could be found guilty of 114 charges. This speculation prompted Mubarak to release a statement to supporters on Saturday, reiterating his confidence in the club's innocence but emphasizing the confidentiality of the legal proceedings. Hart, speaking to BBC 5 Live on Monday, maintained his confidence, stating, \"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.\" He praised Mubarak as someone he trusts, who has \"led the club brilliantly\" since the new ownership took over in 2008. Hart, who won two Premier League titles and the FA Cup and two League Cups during his time at City, reflected on the statement's impact, saying, \"I loved the letter because that was from someone who cared about the club,\" expressing his trust in Mubarak's words as enough to maintain his confidence in the club's position.",
  "summary": "The former Manchester City goalkeeper said he had ‘no reason not to trust’ the club’s chairman",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}