There has never been a case of this magnitude. The Manchester City Club, spiced up with millions from the United Arab Emirates, has been excluded from the Champions League for two years. A heavy blow for star coach Guardiola.
Manchester (dpa) - The two-year suspension for the English champions Manchester City has shocked the fans of the clubs.
Pep Guardiola may only have the chance this season to win the Champions League again after it has not worked out with Bayern. The English football champions want to contest the verdict before the International Sports Court in Cas.
What penalty has UEFA set?
Man City has been banned from UEFA for two years by UEFA. The penalty applies to all UEFA competitions, including possible participation in the Europa League. In addition, the club has to pay a fine of 30 million euros.
What exactly is City accused of?
Between 2012 and 2016, the English champion is said to have valued sponsor income far too much and deliberately misled it. The main owner of Manchester City is Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, half-brother of the President of the United Arab Emirates, Chalifa bin Zayid Al Nahyan. Internal emails and club documents suggested how Man City could have been systematically cheated. Sheikh Mansour is said to have actually paid the money declared as revenue from Abu Dhabi sponsors - including Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates.
What is financial fair play?
The clubs that start in the European Cup competitions must not spend more than they earn. The balance sheets must be balanced over an assessment period of three years. If the breakeven point is not reached, donors can only help to a limited extent. The scheme was introduced in 2013.
How was the alleged fraud exposed?
Disclosures from the Football Leaks platform and news magazine "Der Spiegel" had kicked off the UEFA investigation.
How does the club react to the punishment?
Manchester has announced an appeal to the International Sports Court. The club was "disappointed, but not surprised". City criticized the case as being initiated by UEFA, pursued by UEFA and judged by UEFA.
Does the ban already affect the current season?
No, the sentence will only apply from the 2020/21 season. You can play City in the round of 16 against Champions League record winner Real Madrid as planned.
What does the exclusion mean for the future of Pep Guardiola?
The Guardiola contract expires in 2021. The Spaniard has always emphasized that he wants to fulfill the contract. The coach had recently expressed fears that the club could release him if he failed with City in the round of 16 at Madrid. But that's rather unrealistic, especially since the whole club is geared towards the success coach. It is more questionable whether Guardiola sees his future in Manchester for a long time. Especially since his big goal is to win the Champions League after it hasn't worked with Bayern. Either way, the ban is definitely not conducive to attracting new top players.
Who would benefit from the exclusion?
The Premier League's fifth place would move up. That would currently be Sheffield United. But the chances of the currently stumbling top clubs Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and Arsenal would also increase.
Have there been similar cases in the past?
Yes. This season, the former Champions League winner AC Milan was excluded due to a significant transfer loss in previous years. However, the Lombards were only qualified for the Europa League, so they accepted the punishment. Otherwise, smaller clubs like CFR Cluj and Astra Giurgiu were hit. So far, however, there has been no such case.
Does the Paris Saint-Germain club, which is sponsored by Qatar, have to fear similar sanctions?
Borussia Dortmund's Champions League opponent is not in acute danger - despite the high transfer expenses for Neymar (EUR 222 million) and Kylian Mbappé (180). It was only on March 19, 2019 that the Cas granted French opposition to further financial fair play investigations. At the time, however, it was more of a procedural error because the UEFA judicial chamber had not lodged an objection against the termination of the case in good time. Nevertheless, PSG remains in the sights of the financial investigators.
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