Manchester City set to square off with UEFA at the Court of Arbitration for Sport this week
Manchester City and UEFA will square off at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in a battle which could shape the future of European football.
The Premier League champions are appealing a two-year ban from European competitions, handed down by the continent’s governing body for what it deemed ‘serious breaches’ of its controversial Financial fair Play rules.
Should UEFA’s ban be upheld, it may well have serious ramifications for City, who would face another battle to stop some of their top names from leaving the club.
Manchester City and UEFA will square off at the Court of Arbitration for Sport this week
However, should City be successful in overturning the ban, UEFA’s authority will have been undermined in an unprecedented manner, and serious questions over FFP would likely follow.
Both sides have brought out their big guns for what promises to be an intriguing three days. UEFA have enlisted the services of what sources say they feel are their strongest legal representatives. City have also enlisted their own dream team, which includes David Pannick, QC, who twice successfully challenged the government’s handling of the Brexit process.
City have always maintained their innocence in the strongest terms. Following the punishment, which included a £26.06m fine, chief executive Ferran Soriano said he was ‘disappointed but not surprised by the decision’.
City chief executive Ferran Soriano (left) revealed he was ‘not surprised’ by UEFA’s decision
He added that the allegations were ‘false’, stating: ‘We will do everything that can be done to prove it.’
The club immediately indicated their intention to appeal what they said was a ‘flawed and consistently leaked process’.
As revealed by Sportsmail, all of City’s top 10 rivals – with the exception of Sheffield United, wrote to CAS to request that any attempt to stay the punishment be rejected. No such application was subsequently made.
The verdict may impact the future of City’s players such as midfielder Kevin de Bruyne
City were found to have overstated sponsorship revenue in accounts submitted between 2012 and 2016. UEFA launched their investigation after the publication of hacked documents in Germany’s Der Spiegel.
A decision is expected to be forthcoming before Champions League football resumes. All options are open, including a reduction to the ban.
In a further twist to the plotline, should the suspension be upheld the Champions League spot vacated by City would go to the fifth-placed Premier League club – currently Manchester United.
A decision is expected before the Champions League resumes and all options are still open
