An investigation into accusations that Premier League champions Manchester City misled European football’s financial regulators in pursuit of its success on the field is expected to recommend that the team be barred from the Champions League, says New York Times.
English football authorities and officials at UEFA have for months been investigating Manchester City amid allegations of rule-breaking revealed in damaging leaks over much of the past year.
Members of the investigatory chamber of UEFA’s financial control board, a group set up to analyze the accounts of clubs suspected of breaking strict cost-control regulations, met two weeks ago in Nyon, Switzerland, to finalize their conclusions.
The investigatory panel’s leader, the former prime minister of Belgium Yves Leterme, will have the final say on the submission to a separate adjudicatory chamber, which could be filed as soon as this week. The body is expected to seek at least a one-season ban.
Even the suggestion of a ban would be a stinging rebuke for Manchester City and its Gulf owners, who celebrated a fourth Premier League title in eight seasons on Sunday. They long have sought to add the Champions League — club football’s top prize — to the club’s growing haul of domestic trophies, and any effort to bar the team is likely to spark a monumental legal fight.
Manchester City’s current squad, assembled and financed at the cost of around €1 billion, is just the latest example of the financial might the club’s owner, Sheik Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the brother of the ruler of the United Arab Emirates, can bring to bear.
Sheik Mansour has invested billions over the past two decades — on players, coaches, facilities and the team’s operations — to transform Manchester City, which played in England’s second tier as recently as 2002, into one of football’s biggest and most successful brands.
It remains unclear if any Champions League ban, if levied, would be enforced next season or in the 2020-21 campaign. Qualification games for next season’s tournament begin in June, meaning UEFA faces a race against time to finalize a sanction that City would have the right to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Kkrexuke
107
Author has no mentioned of the allegation here in his post, thats why everyone is confused. Every club have their right to spend but must tally and be consistent with the club revenue, spending within their means. I read it somewhere that MC owner fattened sponsorship deal with personal money non accountable with the club. Hence the investigation. Makes you wonder why RM has to sell players to buy new ones, barca could only purchase coutinho and dembele with the money from neymar sale. But we have never heard of psg and MC needing to sell players to generate funds. They just discard and buy new. Anyway, not guilty unless proven.
Reednivol
70
The Football Association is looking into claims City made a banned £200,000 payment to Jadon Sancho's agent when the England winger was 14 years old. That allegation was also made in documents published by Der Spiegel last month. Uefa says it will make no further comment while the investigation is ongoing. In November, Der Spiegel alleged City had "deceived" European football's governing body. It claimed City and their sponsors manipulated contracts to wipe out a £9.9m shortfall in 2013 and circumvent FFP regulations. After those claims, Uefa said it would reopen FFP investigations on a "on a case-by-case basis" if there is evidence of "abuse". In December, there were reports that City could be banned from European competition if Uefa found they had contravened FFP rules. City manager Pep Guardiola subsequently said he had been assured by chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak and chief executive Ferran Soriano that the club would not be banned. However, in January, Uefa's chief FFP investigator Yves Leterme said City could face a Champions League ban if the claims are proven. Analysis BBC sports news correspondent Richard Conway The credibility of Uefa's financial fair play rules are on the line here. They must be seen to be taking seriously these allegations of financial irregularities. City firmly deny any wrongdoing. But they - and Uefa - know that a lot is at stake. The European confederation has, ultimately, the power to bar City from the Champions League. If it comes to that City - with the monetary and legal firepower of Sheikh Mansour behind them - can be expected to fight such a sanction tooth and nail. This matter has a long way to go.
lundnt
64
If this is true! City have had to pay overs for many players in the past. This is because it's not a destination club like others with RICH history. Like Man u, Barca, Liverpool, Juventus, Spurs, Arsenal, Real Madrid, (you get the point) etc.... What City have been forced to do (to be competitive) is allegedly show they are making as much money as the mentioned big clubs so they can purchase players and challenge. If city hadn't done whathas been alleged, then we would still only have the big 4 in EPL or the big 2 in other euro leagues. I guess it must be tough for the big clubs that have ALWAYS had wealth and got lucky in the early days. Rant from a City fan!