Manchester City handed two-year ban from European footballing competitions
LONDON: Manchester City have been banned from the Champions League for the next two seasons and fined €30m after being found to have "committed serious breaches of the UEFA Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations," European football’s governing body has announced.
The reigning Premier League champions overstated sponsorship revenue in accounts submitted between 2012 and 2016, according to European football's governing body.
The decision of the Adjudicatory Chamber of the Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) is subject to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
"The Adjudicatory Chamber, having considered all the evidence, has found that Manchester City Football Club committed serious breaches of the UEFA Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations by overstating its sponsorship revenue in its accounts and in the break-even information submitted to UEFA between 2012 and 2016," read a UEFA statement.
"The Adjudicatory Chamber has imposed disciplinary measures on Manchester City Football Club directing that it shall be excluded from participation in UEFA club competitions in the next two seasons (ie: the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons) and pay a fine of 30 million euros."
City have said they are "disappointed but not surprised" by UEFA's announcement and will appeal against the punishment to CAS.
"Manchester City is disappointed but not surprised by today's announcement by the UEFA Adjudicatory Chamber," read a club statement.
"The club has always anticipated the ultimate need to seek out an independent body and process to impartially consider the comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence in support of its position.
"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 judgement as quickly as possible and will therefore, in the first instance, commence proceedings with the Court of Arbitration for Sport at the earliest opportunity." - AFP