Pep Guardiola’s side have been struck by a two-year European ban and have proceeded to possess UEFA’s ruling overturned.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has confirmed they’ve registered an appeal from Manchester City as the reigning Premier League champions struggle to overturn a two-season Champions League ban.
UEFA found that the club guilty of breaching Financial Fair Play principles and failing to cooperate with its investigation, handing City a $30m (#25m/$33m) fine in addition to their two-year European suspension.
City moved quickly to profess their innocence and pledged to prove UEFA incorrect, using a CAS appeal the initial order of business.
CAS has confirmed the appeal was lodged, releasing an official announcement on Wednesday, which reads: “The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has filed an appeal filed by Manchester City football club against the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).
“The appeal is directed against the decision of the Adjudicatory Chamber of the UEFA Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) dated 14 February 2020 where Manchester City was deemed to have contravened UEFA’s Club Accreditation and Fiscal Fair Play Regulations and sanctioned with exception from the following two seasons of UEFA club competitions for the club would qualify and ordered to pay a fine of EUR 30 million.
“Generally speaking, CAS appeal mediation procedures involve an exchange of written submissions between the parties as a Panel of CAS arbitrators has been convened. When the Panel has been officially constituted it issues procedural instructions, including, inter alia, related to the holding of a hearing. After the hearing, the Panel deliberates and then issues its decision in the shape of an Arbitral Award.
“It isn’t possible to indicate at this time when the last award in this matter will be issued.”
City will expect that a verdict will be reached sooner rather than later since the ban presents lots of questions concerning the club’s future.
Indeed, whilst Pep Guardiola has signalled his intent to keep at the club even if the ban is upheld, the Catalan coach could be forgiven for considering a move elsewhere.
The same could be said for the players, too, with the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling have been connected with summer transfers as opposed to spending two years at the Champions League wilderness.
Likewise Guardiola has admitted that making summer signings could prove extremely tough as top players will notice a lack of European soccer as a real drawback to joining the Manchester club.
