MANCHESTER CITY’S hopes of a swift final decision over their Champions League ban have suffered a further setback.
The Etihad giants have vowed to take their case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after UEFA booted them out for two years.
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Manchester City’s hopes of swiftly overturning their Champions League ban have suffered a setbackCredit: EPA
Chief exec Ferran Soriano said last month they hoped to clear their name by the ‘beginning of summer’.
But CAS revealed at the weekend they had been forced to postpone three cases due to the Coronavirus pandemic sweeping across Europe.
Now they have announced all in-person hearings have been cancelled until at least May 1st – and possibly even longer.
The most recent list ran to May 18 and City’s hearing had not yet shown up on that – so it is unclear when they are heard.
It increases the possibility that the current Premier League champions will apply for ‘provisional measures’ to get the ban frozen until it has been heard.
The court’s statement read: “CAS will not host any in-person hearing before 1 May 2020, at the earliest.
“Depending on the circumstances of each individual case, the arbitrators and parties are encouraged to conduct hearings by video-conference or to cancel them.
“If such measures are not possible or appropriate, the hearings must be postponed until May 2020 or later.
“Depending on the evolution of the Covid-19 outbreak, the prohibition of in-person hearings may be extended.”
Pep Guardiola is confident that Man City will clear their name after Champions League ban
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
