Manchester City lodge appeal against UEFA ban

The club deny breaching financial fair play regulations.

Author: Victoria GloverPublished 26th Feb 2020
Last updated 26th Feb 2020

Manchester City's appeal against their two-year European football ban and €30million euro fine has been officially registered by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The Premier League champions were handed the punishment by UEFA for an alleged breach of their financial fair play rules.

City have vowed to fight the sanctions imposed on 14th February saying the allegations are simply not true. The club's Chief Executive was filmed for the club's channel earlier this month.

Although CAS did not indicate a time-frame for the appeal process, it is expected to take several months.

In a statement, CAS said: "The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has registered an appeal filed by Manchester City football club against the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).

"The appeal is directed against the decision of the Adjudicatory Chamber of the UEFA Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) dated 14 February 2020 in which Manchester City was deemed to have

contravened UEFA's Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations and sanctioned with exclusion from the next two seasons of UEFA club competitions for which the club would qualify and ordered to pay a fine of EUR 30 million.

"Generally speaking, CAS appeal arbitration procedures involve an exchange of written submissions between the parties while a Panel of CAS arbitrators is being convened.

"Once the Panel has been formally constituted it issues procedural directions, including, inter alia, with respect to the holding of a hearing.

"Following the hearing, the Panel deliberates and then issues its decision in the form of an Arbitral Award.

"It is not possible to indicate at this time when a final award in this matter will be issued.''

A date for the hearing is yet to be confirmed.

City play Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie this evening.