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Since the Abu Dhabi takeover in 2008, the terrace chant has been repeated at Premier League title parades, on numerous trips to Wembley and at two UEFA Champions League finals. But the guilty verdict in City's case with the Premier League -- published last week -- has called all the recent success into question.

It's not so much "we're not really here," but rather should City have been there at all? Their supporters are caught in the middle of the scandal.

"I feel for the fans," said former England striker and TV pundit Gary Lineker. "It's always the fans that suffer from these things, which is sad."

No one can speak for all City fans when talking about their thoughts and feelings since the club were officially found to have broken financial rules between 2009 and 2018. Shortly after the verdict was published, the Manchester City Supporters Union released a statement to that effect.

"We will be engaging with our members and the wider fan base, consulting the memberships and gauging opinion," it read. "We all need to look out for each other as supporters in these uncertain times ahead. We need to be strong together."

With millions of fans and more than 400 supporters' clubs worldwide, there are a variety of opinions within City's fanbase. Talk to fans on the street or around the Etihad and there's no singular, unified view. It's reflected by the high-profile fans who have been asked to appear on TV, radio and podcasts.

"My overriding feeling is anger," said David Mooney of the "Blue Moon podcast" in an interview with Sky Sports. "They've lied to the fans, they've lied to the rest of football and acted with sheer contempt towards the football club that I support."

While some feel let down and misled by the owners, others are steadfast in their support of chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak and CEO Ferran Soriano, who continue to strongly assert City's innocence. Some are choosing to wait until the outcome of the appeal -- filed last week -- before deciding what to think.

There are fans who have long since decided that it's the rules that are wrong, designed to help the "Red Cartel" of Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal stay at the top and keep anyone from joining the gang. Soriano has played into it, referencing a "Premier League conspiracy theory" in a video message sent to staff.

"A lot of City fans are conflicted," said City fan Nobbins on "The Overlap" podcast. "There's no consensus about how we should feel. We have the chairman and the CEO saying, 'We're innocent,' and as a fan, you want to believe them.

"When you have a scathing official judgement, it's hard to rationalize our leadership saying we've done nothing wrong. I will wait until every appeal process has happened before reaching an ultimate conclusion."

There are still a lot of unanswered questions. Could the appeal be successful? Will the punishment include trophies and titles being stripped? Might this be City's last season in the Premier League?

City fans of a certain age don't fear relegation. Anyone who watched the club regularly between 1982 and 2002 has seen them relegated five times, and they spent the 1998-99 campaign in the third tier. Opposing fans visiting the Etihad Stadium have often aimed chants at the home end like: "Where were you when you were s---?" The answer that comes back is usually: "We were here when we were s---."

A lot of them were. Some City supporters even miss the visits to Chesterfield and Gillingham and would prefer a trip to a Football League outpost than an expensive train to Wembley for another FA Cup or Carabao Cup final.

On the flip side, the more recent generation -- those born after 2000 -- have only known success and silverware, and so a potential drop down the divisions is much more daunting.

Beyond possible sporting sanctions, fans are also dealing with the reputational damage.

"It hurts that my club has been tarnished in that way," former City winger Shaun Wright-Phillips said. "I'm gutted for the fans."

For most supporters, City is not just a football club -- it's part of their identity. Now labeled as cheats by the Premier League, it's something that will hang over every fan wherever they go.

There has been anger directed at City from other clubs' support since the verdict became public. Some of it has been aimed at the fans -- regardless of whether they're in support of the owners' actions. Every celebration and every memory is being ridiculed.

The impact of City's guilt -- pending appeal -- extends far beyond a few decisions made in a boardroom 10 years ago.

"It's really difficult to process because I'm trying to work out what this means for my club, what it means for the future," City content creator and fan Steven McInerney said. "Is my club going to exist? I guess so, but in what state? Maybe there is something in the bravado from the chairman, that there's something in the appeal. But of course I'm nervous and I feel a little bit let down. Absolutely.

"I was expecting a lot more balance based on what the owners have told us. People may think, 'Why did you believe it?' Because that's my job as a fan, to get behind the side. Ultimately, I don't feel guilty about doing that."

For the most part, City fans like their owners. Money from Abu Dhabi has brought success on the field and also a redeveloped stadium, a new training ground and a refurbished part of east Manchester.

From the outside, there has often been a feeling that City supporters have been so dazzled by the good things that they've willingly ignored the bad. It's something City fans push back on.

In February 2025, seven supporter groups sent a letter to complain about rising ticket costs and highlight local fans being priced out. In April the same year, a number of fans attending a home game against Leicester City staged a protest by staying in the concourses for the first 10 minutes. It worked: a year later, club bosses announced a freeze of ticket prices.

"We cannot ask for anything more, it shows that they have listened," City supporter chief Kevin Parker said at the time.

This time, the owners are asking fans to listen to them -- even in the face of a damning judgement and fierce criticism. With the Premier League returning this weekend after an eventful international break, around 2,000 fans are set to travel to watch City face Liverpool on Sunday. It will be the first taste of the taunts that will be waiting at every Premier League stadium.

Often at Anfield, City fans have chanted, "We're not really here." It will take on new meaning this time amid what is an uncertain future for the club and their supporters.