Manchester City have appealed against their two-year ban from European competition, which has been registered by the CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport). The ban also included a £25 million fine for breaches of financial fair play rules.
CAS Register Manchester City Ban Appeal
The Charges
City are being charged with “overstating its sponsorship revenue in its accounts and in the break-even information submitted to UEFA”
UEFA require clubs to not spend more than they make. City have allegedly lied about sponsorship revenue in order to be allowed to spend more. At the time of the initial charge, City said they were “disappointed but not surprised” by the decision and would appeal.
Now, City chief executive Ferran Soriano has said the breaches are “simply not true”.
City in Crisis
These charges have seriously dampened the club’s image and have started a batch of rumours that players will leave. City is home to many world-class players such as Kevin De Bruyne, Sergio Aguero, Ederson and even a top manager Pep Guardiola.
Pep Guardiola has said that he will stay committed to City, even through the ban. He said “If they don’t sack me, that can happen, but if they don’t sack me I will stay here. I want to stay, I want to help the club, if it is possible, to maintain this level as long as possible.”
He even stated: “Why should I leave? I said before, I love this club.” While this may be true, Guardiola has also said that he is optimistic that the ban will be overturned. If the ban holds, the Spaniard may not still hold true to his word.
Back in 2014, Aguero said that he would stay until City won the Champions League, but after six years of failure, and now this ban, will he finally be forced to leave?
Of course, many other players at the club including De Bruyne and Ederson are world-class and are Champions League quality, so a two-year ban might not be acceptable for players of their calibre. If the ban is not overturned we may see a mass exodus of players and staff from the Manchester side.
Main Photo
