‘We will prevail’: Manchester City chief executive Ferran Soriano issues rallying cry to club staff

Manchester City have written to all their staff to declare of the club’s battle with UEFA: ‘We will prevail.’

Sportsmail has seen an email sent out by chief executive Ferran Soriano following the announcement last Friday that City had been banned for two years from European competition. 

The memo states that the Premier League champions ‘continue to reject’ the charges against them and adds that they will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport at the earliest opportunity.

The email also states that the Premier League champions ‘continue to reject’ the charges

In a rallying cry, Soriano adds: ‘It is important to recognise that this is not the end. There is more to come. We are confident that with a fair and independent hearing we will prevail.’

Staff are also told not to post anything on social media.

City have circled the wagons since UEFA’s announcement and it can be disclosed that a number of meetings have already been held with staff at which they were reassured about the future and urged not to panic.

City have held a series of meetings to reassure staff after UEFA’s announcement last Friday

The message that this is just the start of a process, together with confidence that City will ultimately succeed, has been the common theme.

As well as their two-year European ban, City were fined £25million after a Uefa investigation — triggered by the publishing of hacked documents — found they had committed ‘serious breaches’ of the governing body’s Financial Fair Play regulations.

City face Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie a week on Wednesday.