Pep Guardiola will be back at the Etihad Stadium next week, less than four months after leaving his post as Manchester City manager. His destination is the Champions League tie against Paris Saint-Germain on matchday two, and his presence is being read as a public show of support at a moment when the club could use one.
The timing is not accidental. City were found guilty of all but one of their 115 charges for breaking the Premier League's financial rules, a verdict delivered by an independent commission just days ago. The club insists its body of 'irrefutable evidence' will clear its name and has lodged a 'comprehensive appeal' against the decision. Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak and CEO Ferran Soriano have both stood by that position in public messages.
Guardiola's own message came quickly. Writing on social media, he said: "I want every single Manchester City fan to know I am here; more than ever." He went further. "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."
Those words carry weight now that the commission's findings are public. Guardiola's final campaign in charge brought an FA Cup and a League Cup, and he has already made clear where his allegiances lie. He will be joined at the Etihad by the City board, including Khaldoon, while his right-hand man Manel Estiarte is also expected to be in attendance.
Enzo Maresca, meanwhile, has been seen back at the training ground for the first time since the guilty verdict. Whatever else the past week has produced, the day-to-day work has resumed.
Before any of that, there is the small matter of Anfield. City travel to face Liverpool on Sunday afternoon, and a hostile atmosphere is widely expected to greet Maresca and his players. It is the kind of fixture that tends to sort out what a squad is made of.
The club's future remains clouded. City face a range of serious punishments from the Premier League over alleged rule breaking between 2009 and 2018, and some within the game have tipped anything from a points deduction in excess of 50 points to expulsion or relegation to the Championship. Guardiola's return will not change any of that. It will, at least, put a familiar face in the stands.