Manchester City ‘fully prepared to appeal Champions League ban as soon as possible’ after the coronavirus caused a delay to their case
- Manchester City are ‘fully prepared’ to appeal their Champions League ban
- The coronavirus pandemic has caused a delay to their planned appeal process
- Manchester City were also fined for £25million for breaching FPP regulations
- Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19
Manchester City’s lawyers are raring to go when it comes to appealing the club’s two-year Champions League ban, according to The Mirror.
City were hoping to have their case heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) this month, however the coronavirus has pushed back the date set for the appeal.
It is now unlikely they will receive a ruling until July at the earliest, however the date could be brought up if CAS agrees.
Manchester City are reportedly ‘fully prepared’ to bring an appeal to CAS as soon as possible
Pep Guardiola and his side are subject to a two-year ban from playing in European competition
‘Our appeal has been fully prepared and the only thing we are waiting for is for a date to be set aside,’ a senior City source told the Mirror.
‘We have been putting our case together for more than a year because UEFA’s stance made it clear how this situation was going to be played out.’
UEFA punished City for breaching financial fair play regulations in February, pending the appeal.
The reigning Premier League champions received a £25million fine and a two-year suspension from UEFA competitions.
Kevin De Bruyne says he’ll consider Man City future if club’s two-year European ban is upheld
Kevin De Bruyne recently admitted he might have to rethink his future at Manchester City if they fail in their appeal. The 28-year-old is regarded as City’s most important player and a vital part of club plans with three years still left on his contract.
Meanwhile, a handful of Premier League clubs who have been jostling for position near the top of the table will be watching the appeal’s outcome with interest.
Many teams, including the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal, and Tottenham, were still in with a shot at qualifying for the Champions League when the season was suspended, and may be hoping for an extra slot to open up.
The Mirror reports ‘a number of top Premier League clubs have written to CAS to express an interest in the case.’