Tobias Sylvester
Manchester City have been banned from the Champions League for two seasons and fined the sum of €30 million ($32.5m) for committing serious breaches of Financial Fair Play rules.
Man City was accused of deliberately misleading UEFA over the value of a sponsorship deal in order to meet FFP rules which require clubs to break even.
In a remarkable ruling, the reigning Premier League champions have been hit with a two-season ban and fined €30 million by UEFA.
The ban means Man City will miss the 2020/21 and 2021/22 editions of a competition that they are desperate to win.
The Premier League club swiftly said it intended to appeal the decision to the Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
CLUB STATEMENThttps://t.co/ueMFeLFowu
— Manchester City (@ManCity) February 14, 2020
City said in a statement on their website: “Manchester City is disappointed but not surprised by today’s announcement by the UEFA Adjudicatory Chamber.
“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.”
