Manchester City’s appeal over their two-year Champions League ban for Financial Fair Play breaches will be heard next month
Manchester City’s appeal against a two-year ban from the Champions League to be heard at the Court of Arbitration for Sport on June 8-10.
City had hoped for a hearing in May but the outbreak of coronavirus has pushed it back to June. It is unclear if a hearing will be held in person at the court or by video link.
No timetable was set for a verdict but a ruling is needed before English teams enter next season’s Champions League draw.
Manchester City will have their appeal over a Champions League ban heard next month
If an outcome is delivered by June 10 and the ban upheld, it could mean that Premier League clubs resume the season knowing that a fifth-place finish will secure Champions League football next season.
But City are confident that they can overturn the ban when their appeal is heard. Earlier in may, a club source was quoted by The Mirror as saying that they were ‘raring to go’ with their appeal.
City were banned by UEFA in February for ‘serious breaches’ of financial monitoring rules and failing to cooperate with investigators. The English champions have been accused of deceiving UEFA in order to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations.
UEFA also fined Man City 30 million euros (£25m) after an investigation that was sparked by leaked internal emails and documents. They showed that City overstated sponsorship revenue and masked the source of revenue from deals to tied to the club’s owners in Abu Dhabi.
But City are confident that they can overturn the ban when their appeal is heard. Earlier in may, a club source was quoted by The Mirror as saying that they were ‘raring to go’ with their appeal.
The potential ban has sparked unrest with some players in the City side. Kevin De Bruyne has implied that he could leave the club if they do not have it overturned.
‘The club have told us they will appeal against the ban on European football and that they’re almost 100 per cent sure they are right,’ De Bruyne told Belgian paper Het Laatste Nieuws.
‘I’m just waiting. I trust my team. Once the decision is made, I will review everything. Two years would be long, in the case of one year I might see. It remains a challenge to be the best and I need that too. What is coming is coming.’