BAN OVERTURNED – Man City’s victory at the CAS is a slap in the face for UEFA
Etihad Stadium - Manchester City
The Court of Arbitration of Sport has lifted the unjust 2-year ban sanctioned by UEFA on Man City. In a high profile clash between the 6-time English Champions Man City and UEFA at the Court of Arbitration of Sport, Man City have emerged victorious by proving their innocence.
UEFA’s loss at the CAS questions the decision-making ability of UEFA’s CFCB and why Man City was banned in the first place. On Man City’s part, they were right throughout this process and maintained the stance that this decision would get overturned when investigated by an ‘independent’ body.
Pep Guardiola’s Man City will play in the Champions League next season and even if UEFA makes an unlikely appeal at the Swiss Federal Tribunal, the odds of the CAS decision being overturned are very less. Both parties are now expected to accept the CAS ruling.
The decision made by CAS is titled “EXCLUSION FROM PARTICIPATION IN UEFA CLUB COMPETITIONS LIFTED; FINE MAINTAINED BUT REDUCED TO EUR 10 MILLION”. This decision made by the CAS is a major embarrassment to European Football’s governing body.
The Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport has also reduced the fine imposed by UEFA to 10m Euros and this fine has been handed out to City for not properly cooperating with the UEFA investigation.
A CAS statement read “The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has issued its decision in the arbitration procedure between Manchester City Football Club and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).
“The case concerns an appeal filed by Manchester City FC (MCFC) against the decision of the Adjudicatory Chamber of the UEFA Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) dated 14 February 2020 in which it was deemed to have contravened UEFA’s Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations and sanctioned with exclusion from participation in UEFA club competitions in the next two seasons and ordered to pay a fine of EUR 30 million.”
“The Panel of arbitrators in charge of the matter, composed of Mr Rui Botica Santos (Portugal), President, Prof. Ulrich Haas (Germany) and Mr Andrew McDougall QC (France), conducted a hearing with the parties, their legal representatives, witnesses and experts on 8, 9 and 10 June 2020.
“Following the hearing, the CAS Panel deliberated and concluded that the decision issued on 14 February 2020 by the Adjudicatory Chamber of the CFCB should be set aside and replaced by the following:
a.) MCFC has contravened Article 56 of the Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations.
b.) MCFC shall pay a fine of EUR 10,000,000 to the UEFA, within 30 days as from the date of issuance of the arbitral award.
“The CAS award emphasized that most of the alleged breaches reported by the Adjudicatory Chamber of the CFCB were either not established or time-barred. As the charges with respect to any dishonest concealment of equity funding were clearly more significant violations than obstructing the CFCB’s investigations, it was not appropriate to impose a ban on participating in UEFA’s club competitions for MCFC’s failure to cooperate with the CFCB’s investigations alone.
Read the full statement here.
Deepak Selvan is the Chief Football Correspondent at LosMejor. He writes about the Premier League, Champions League and the complicated financial affairs in European and World Football.
Saudi Arabia-led consortium completes Newcastle United takeover 
Ronaldo to Man Utd: How the homecoming happened 
Harry Kane: I will be staying at Tottenham this summer 
Can PSG recoup their ‘Messi money’ through just shirt sales? 
Haaland was Chelsea’s first choice but Dortmund’s crazy valuation made the Blues turn to Romelu Lukaku