Manchester City will learn their Champions League fate at 9.30am TODAY with the Court of Arbitration for Sport poised to announce its verdict over the club’s appeal against their two-year ban
- Manchester City have been locked in a battle with UEFA after their European ban
- City were banned from Europe for two years for breaching Financial Fair Play
- They appealed against the punishment to the Court of Arbitration for Sport
- Pep Guardiola and his side will find out the result of their appeal at 9.30am today
- Chelsea, United and Wolves could potentially benefit from the ban being upheld
Manchester City hopes of playing in the Champions League next season rest on the verdict of their appeal, which will be announced this morning.
City had appealed against their two-year ban to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), handed down to them in February by UEFA for breaches of club licensing and financial fair play regulations.
The club has always denied any wrongdoing and are confident they will be exonerated once the verdict is announced at 9.30am.
Manchester City will learn the fate of their Champions League’s ban at 9.30am today
Pep Guardiola insists he hasn’t lost any sleep over the outcome of City’s appeal to CAS
City had their appeal heard last month and manager Pep Guardiola insists he has not lost any sleep over the decision, which could cost City around £170million if their appeal is rejected.
As well as their two-year ban, City were also hit with a fine of almost £27m but the fear of a mass player exodus is even more worrying for the club.
City’s biggest stars could decide to leave the former Premier League champions if the ban is upheld or even reduced to a one-year suspension.
However, Guardiola himself insists that he hasn’t lost any sleep over the decision and is confident City will be playing in the Champions League next season.
Kevin De Bruyne and City’s biggest stars could end up leaving if the ban is upheld
Following City’s thrashing of Brighton on Saturday, Guardiola said: ‘I am going to sleep because I cannot do anything.
‘I am confident in the club, I know the arguments, the defence they have and in the next season we are going to be in the place where we won on the pitch this season.
‘I know there are many teams in the Premier League waiting too – but we are going to wait for what is happening on Monday.’
UEFA’s club financial control body had originally found that City had committed a ‘serious’ breaches of the organisation’s FFP rules between 2012-16.
Last season’s Premier League winners lead 2-1 in their Champions League tie with Real Madrid
The investigation followed claims in German magazine Der Spiegel, based on leaked documents, that City’s owner Sheikh Mansour was topping up the value of sponsorship agreements, in breach of FFP rules.
City always denied the magazine’s claims and described the investigation as ‘flawed’ due to the leaked documents.
Guardiola’s team remain in contention in this season’s Champions League. They lead 2-1 after the first leg of their last-16 tie against Real Madrid.