UEFA bans Manchester City from Champions League for two seasons
The governing body for association football in Europe, UEFA has banned English giants Manchester City from the Champions League for the next two seasons. The English club was found guilty of breaking Financial Fair Play regulations. City have also been fined £25mn by UEFA. City responded to the ban with a statement and said they will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Details about the case
The UEFA's Club Financial Control Body found City guilty of inflating their sponsorship revenues in order to meet Financial Fair Play regulations. Notably, the investigation started in November 2018, when the German magazine Der Spiegel published several leaked emails. Der Spiegel had reported that City created a shell company to hide tens of millions of dollars which they used for recruiting players.
Manchester City "disappointed but not surprised"
In a statement, the club said they were "disappointed but not surprised". It read, "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."
What exactly is the FFP rule?
Financial Fair Play was essentially introduced to ensure that huge discrepancies do not occur between clubs regarding selling and purchase of players. FFP was brought by former UEFA President Michel Platini and essentially ensures a sanctity to be maintained in terms of spending so that any major breaches can be avoided. Essentially, "clubs have to prove they have paid their bills".
City could also face Premier League points deduction
According to the BBC, The independent Adjudicatory Chamber of the Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) said City had broken the rules by "overstating its sponsorship revenue in its accounts and in the break-even information submitted to UEFA between 2012-2016". City also failed to cooperate in the investigation. Meanwhile, City could also face points deduction in EPL because the league's FFP rules are quite similar.
La Liga president praises UEFA for the decision
City are set to face Spanish giants Real Madrid in the last 16 of this season's Champions League. The first leg is set to be played on February 26 at the Bernabeu. La Liga President Javier Tebas praised UEFA for "finally taking decisive action". "Enforcing the rules of financial fair play and punishing financial doping is essential for the future of football," he said.
City and Guardiola in a sticky situation
Things have turned pretty interesting at the moment. If the decision stays, then City will miss out on Champions League action for the next two season which is a blow. Whether a position opens up in their absence is unknown as of now. Teams fighting for the top four in EPL will now eye an UCL berth. Also, Pep Guardiola could leave the champions.
