From Pep Guardiola, there was initially a pause, a sigh and then a step back in time.
It was three years ago this month that Manchester City were accused by UEFA of breaking their financial regulations. Eventually, City found a way through that one. Guilty in small part, but not of the really serious stuff.
This time it is the Premier League that has its tanks parked on City's lawn.
Guardiola believes there to be nineteen of them, each one representing the other Premier League clubs he suspects are driving this latest attempt to prove that City have funded their extraordinary modern trophy haul in ways that contravene the rule book.