MANCHESTER CITY will be playing Champions League football next season after their two-year ban was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
City have been ordered to pay a £10m fine for obstructing Uefa’s investigation but are otherwise in the clear.
The ruling sees Man City banned from the CL for two yearsCredit: Reuters
But what does this mean for this year’s Premier League and that all-important fourth qualifying spot?
Will fifth place Premier League finish secure CL spot?
FOLLOWING Uefa’s ruling, Man City WILL be playing in the Champions League next season, having gained enough points to guarantee their spot.
But the fifth placed team in the Premier League will not now qualify for the competition with only the top four to make it, as would be the cae in any other season.
That team is currently Manchester United, but they have a game in hand on fourth placed Leicester and take on Southampton tonight.
How the race for the top four looks with three games to go
Why were Man City banned from the Champions League?
CITY had been slapped with the sanction having been found guilty of seriously misleading European football’s governing body.
Uefa investigated claims that City had hidden millions in funding by the club’s Abu Dhabi owners under the guise of legitimate sponsorship income.
The probe was launched following the Football Leaks document dump of emails and letters.
City were initially fined £49m for FFP breaches in 2014, although that was later reduced to £16m.
The club have always vehemently protest their innocence.
The reigning Premier League champions have also been hit with a whopping £25m fine by UefaCredit: Getty Images
A statement from the club at the time said: “Manchester City is disappointed but not surprised by today’s announcement by the UEFA Adjudicatory Chamber.
“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.
“In December 2018, the UEFA Chief Investigator publicly previewed the outcome and sanction he intended to be delivered to Manchester City, before any investigation had even begun.
“The subsequent flawed and consistently leaked UEFA process he oversaw has meant that there was little doubt in the result that he would deliver. The Club has formally complained to the UEFA Disciplinary body, a complaint which was validated by a CAS ruling.
“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.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
