Manchester
City has been placed on a 2-year ban by UEFA and fined £25m.
However, the club was banned for falsely inflating their sponsorship income. It makes it look like it was earning more than it was spending on the purchase of players. So, the Financial Fair Play made this discovery as they checked through the club’s account.
However, Manchester City has said they will appeal the judgment with the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS). So, the club is now suspended for the next two years from UEFA competitions.
The verdict came as a result of an investigation conducted by a German magazine Der Spiegel sometimes in November 2018. It alleged that the owner of the club single-handedly funded the club. This covers sponsorship of the club’s stadium, academy, and the club’s shirts through the Etihad airline.
Manchester City has, however, said they were disappointed by the verdict.
“In December 2018, the UEFA Chief Investigator publicly previewed the outcome and sanction he intended to be delivered to Manchester City before any investigation had even begun. The subsequent flawed and consistently leaked UEFA process he oversaw has meant that there was little doubt in the result that he would deliver.
“Simply put, this is a case initiated by UEFA, prosecuted by UEFA and judged by UEFA. With this prejudicial process now over, the Club will pursue an impartial judgment as quickly as possible and will, therefore, in the first instance, commence proceedings with the Court of Arbitration for Sport at the earliest opportunity.”