Manchester City Banned From UEFA Competitions For The Next Two Seasons

England defending champions, Manchester City have been banned from participating in the UEFA Champions League for the next two seasons. The Citizens were also fined £25m for breaking financial fair play rules.

The severity of the ban metted out to the English club from both UEFA’s elite competitions goes a long way to show just how seriously the body takes the breaching of any fair play rules.

The decision is however subject to appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The Citizens reveal that they are disappointed but not surprised by the call and will appeal against it.

According to the independent Adjudicatory Chamber of the Club Financial Control Body (CFCB), Manchester City had breached its rules by “overstating its sponsorship revenue in its accounts and in the break-even information submitted to Uefa between 2012 and 2016”. In addition, it said that the club had failed to cooperate throughout the time of the investigation.

It has also been suggested that City could as well face Premier League points deduction since the FFP rules guiding the league are the same as those of UEFA’s competitions.

That said, the punishments meted out to Manchester City do not in any way affect their women team.

Manchester City in a statement said:

“The club has always anticipated the ultimate need to seek out an independent body and process to impartially consider the comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence in support of its position.

“In December 2018, the Uefa chief investigator publicly previewed the outcome and sanction he intended to be delivered to Manchester City, before any investigation had even begun.

“The subsequent flawed and consistently leaked Uefa process he oversaw has meant that there was little doubt in the result that he would deliver. The club has formally complained to the Uefa disciplinary body, a complaint which was validated by a CAS ruling.

“Simply put, this is a case initiated by Uefa, prosecuted by Uefa and judged by Uefa. With this prejudicial process now over, the club will pursue an impartial judgment as quickly as possible and will therefore, in the first instance, commence proceedings with the Court of Arbitration for Sport at the earliest opportunity.”

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