UEFA HAVE BANNED Manchester City from all European competition for the next two seasons and fined the Premier League champions €30 million (£24.9m) for “serious breaches” of financial and club-licensing rules.
European football’s governing body confirmed the decision in a statement on Friday evening, saying the club had inflated its sponsorship revenue in accounts submitted to Uefa between 2012 and 2016.
The guilty finding follows an investigation sparked by the publication of “leaked” emails and documents by the German magazine Der Spiegel in November 2018.
City, meanwhile, have stated their intention to appeal the verdict at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) “at the earliest opportunity”.
“Following a hearing on 22 January 2020 the Adjudicatory Chamber of the Uefa Club Financial Control Body (CFCB), chaired by José da Cunha Rodrigues, has today notified Manchester City Football Club of the decision on the case which was referred by the CFCB Chief Investigator,” read a Uefa statement.
The Adjudicatory Chamber, having considered all the evidence, has found that Manchester City Football Club committed serious breaches of Uefa Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations by overstating its sponsorship revenue in its accounts and in the break-even information submitted to Uefa between 2012 and 2016.
“The Adjudicatory Chamber has also found that in breach of the regulations the Club failed to cooperate in the investigation of this case by the CFCB.
The Adjudicatory Chamber has imposed disciplinary measures on Manchester City Football Club directing that it shall be excluded from participation in Uefa club competitions in the next two seasons (ie. the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons) and pay a fine of €30 million.
“The decision of the Adjudicatory Chamber is subject to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). If Manchester City Football Club exercises that right the full reasoned decision of the Adjudicatory Chamber will not be published prior to the publication of the final award by the CAS.”
A statement released by the Premier League champions read: “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.
