The decision by CAS to overturn Manchester City’s European ban marks a big victory for the English club in their long conflict with Uefa.
Manchester City can breathe easy. After an extended and tedious fight with Uefa, Monday’s ruling from the Court of Arbitration for Sport, lifting a two-season Uefa ban from European competition, will give Pep Guardiola’s side a huge boost for this season as they chase the quadruple.
Uefa’s ban being upheld by CAS could have possibly seen City lose their best players and even manager Guardiola, had they been found guilty of breaching the Financial Fair Play rules. But they are doing not got to worry that anymore.
The club can now anticipate the return of this season’s Champions League in August, safe within the knowledge that it’s not the ultimate chance for Pep Guardiola.
The verdict by CAS marks a big victory for the English club although the past few years off the pitch haven’t been easy for the players and therefore the club management.
As Man City’s European ban is lifted, we take a glance at the key events in their long conflict with Uefa:
May 2014:
First sanctions Charged for failing to take care of a balance between their revenue and expenditure, with a deficit that exceeded the 30-million-euro ($34 million at current exchange rates) maximum at the time, a conditional fine of 60 million euros in May 2014 was accepted by City which is to be deducted from European prize, of which 40 million euros would be lifted if the club met other conditions over the subsequent two seasons.
Later during a statement, the previous Premier League champions made it clear that they had reluctantly agreed Uefa’s ruling and wouldn’t push the case further.
“In normal circumstances, the club would want to pursue its case and present its position through every avenue of recourse,” City said during a statement.
“However, our decision to try to so must be balanced against the sensible realities for our fans, for our partners.”
Qatari-owned French side Paris Saint-Germain were among the opposite eight clubs also fined that year for FFP breaches.
November 2018: Revelations in Football Leaks
According to the report Sheikh Mansour had funneled 127.5 million euros to the club through City’s sponsors, which include Etihad, the Emirati airline.
March 7, 2019: New Uefa investigation
Soon after the allegations by Der Spiegel, Uefa opened an investigation into Manchester City’s alleged breach of FFP rules. The possible punishments ranged from a reprimand to a ban from European competitions for Manchester City.
The City dismissed the allegations as false, minutes after Uefa said it might check out the matter but the Premier League club welcomed the investigation and insisted that they had done nothing wrong.
May 14, 2019: City answer reports about the potential ban
Early in May, the NY Times reported that the town could face a 1 year Uefa ban, citing people conversant in the case. The club soon released a press release raising concern about the report, terming the financial allegations false and said that they had submitted proof to the investigatory committee of the Club Financial Control Body.
The City said during a statement: “The NY Times report citing ‘people conversant in the case’ is therefore extremely concerning.
“ Accounts published by Manchester City are full and complete and a matter of legal and regulatory record. The accusation of monetary irregularities are entirely false, and comprehensive proof of this fact has been provided to the CFCB IC.”
May 16, 2019: City mentioned the adjudicatory chamber by Uefa
Two days later, City was mentioned the CFCB adjudicatory chamber by Uefa over a possible breach of FFP rules after Uefa’s investigatory panel leader and former Belgium prime minister Yves Leterme agreed to expire the matter.
The City issued a press release again, saying they were disappointed by Uefa but described the investigation as a “wholly unsatisfactory, curtailed, and hostile process.”
June 6, 2019: City lodge appeal with CAS to stop the ban
Manchester City lodged an appeal with CAS, following the threats of being banned Premier League outfit from the 2020-’21 Champions League season. The Premier League champions denied any wrongdoing again.
CAS stated that the procedure would involve an exchange of written submissions between the parties, during which era a panel of arbitrators is going to be convened to listen to the appeal.
November 15, 2019: CAS deems City appeal ‘inadmissible’
Five months later, CAS ruled City’s appeal as “inadmissible” because Uefa had not reached a final judgment on the case, a choice which paved the way from the CFCB adjudicatory chamber to make a decision whether City would be sanctioned.
February 14, 2020: Champions League ban
On Valentine’s Day, Uefa’s Adjudicatory Chamber banned City from European competitions for the subsequent two seasons for “serious financial fair-play breaches” in its accounts for the amount 2012-’16.
A fine of 30 million euros ($32.5 million) was also imposed on the English champions.
City Football Group CEO Ferran Soriano denied those allegations, a couple of days after the decision.
“The owner has not put money during this club that has not been properly declared,” Soriano said in February.
He added, “We are a sustainable football club, we are profitable, we don’t have debt, our accounts are scrutinized repeatedly, by auditors, by regulators, by investors and this is often perfectly clear.”
An immediate appeal was launched to the Court of Arbitration for Sport by them.
Few were unhappy with the timing of Uefa’s decision, including football pundit and former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, given City were still competing within the Champions League.
“I can’t believe they’re within the competition now. What would happen if City wins this competition this season?” Carragher said. “They (Man City) are the favorites for it, one among the simplest teams in Europe and it might make a mockery of the competition.”
“Uefa are going to be desperate for Man City to urge beat by Real Madrid, absolutely desperate. are you able to imagine people from Uefa having to offer the cup in Istanbul to a person City player? they’re within the competition now and if they win it, it’ll almost be tainted. I feel for Uefa, they ought to have either took Man City out of the competition immediately or left this decision until the top of the season.”
June 8-10, 2020: CAS hearing
CAS based on Lausanne, the arbitrator in sports cases, hears the appeal through a videoconference. It made the announcement that “at the top of the hearings, both parties expressed their satisfaction with the conduct of the procedure”.
CAS general secretary Matthieu Reeb said the choice might be announced in July. English champions had the choice to present an extra appeal before the Swiss court, also based in Lausanne, if their CAS appeal fails.
July 13, 2020: CAS lifts City’s ban
CAS put aside the ban, ruling that “most of the alleged breaches reported by the Adjudicatory Chamber… were either not established or time-barred”.
It said that a lot of the alleged offenses couldn’t be punished due to Uefa’s five-year statute of limitations.
CAS said that while City was guilty of obstructing the Uefa investigation, it had been over-ruling the “more significant violation” of “dishonest concealment” of funding.
A fine of 10 million euros, to be paid to Uefa was the only penalty.
(With AFP inputs)
