Man City Ready for their Court Case
Man City will by Monday next week know their Champions League fate on Monday whether their appeal against a two-year ban from European club competitions has been successful or not. Man City appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) after Uefa’s Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) issued the ban in February.
The CFCB ruled the club had committed “serious breaches” of Uefa’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations between 2012 and 2016. The former Premier League winners were also fined 30m euros (£25m). Manchester City immediately signalled its intention to appeal to Cas. They believe the CFCB was not independent and ended up being distrustful of it, partly due to the amount of secretive information the club felt was leaked to the media.
Man City coach Pep Guardiola said yesterday in a press conference meeting that they are ready to face the court, the manager said: “We are ready.” “I have a lot of confidence and trust with the people that we will be allowed to play the Champions League because we want to be on the field during these years.”
Their appeal began in June and has been heard by three Cas lawyers in private video conferences. Man City’s fate of Champions League next season is based on the court lifting the ban from them unless the case is successful, they will not be able to participate in Europe’s top-flight tournament.
Man City face Real Madrid in their Champions League last-16 second leg at Etihad Stadium on either 7 or 8 August. They are currently winning aggregate after they played 2-1 in the first leg in Madrid home. They will face Juventus or Lyon in the quarter-finals, which will be held in Lisbon, if they progress.
