EURO D-DAY FOR CITY AND UNITED

APPEAL AGAINST BAN SET FOR NEXT MONTH

CITY’S appeal against their two-year ban from European competition will be heard at the Court of Arbitration for Sport between June 8 and 10.

Shortly after the bombshell verdict was delivered by UEFA effectively kicking City out of the Champions League for two years, the Blues made it clear through Ferran Soriano and Pep Guardiola that they were confident an appeal would clear them.

It was hoped CAS would hear the case before the summer, but the impact of the pandemic has put paid to that. However, fears from other clubs that City would look to take advantage of the global crisis by getting the ban suspended until the case could be heard have proven unfounded.

CAS have worked on a number of measures to make sure that hearings can still go ahead despite the complications caused by the pandemic and the latest schedule has slotted City’s case in for three days beginning on June 8.

With the Premier League not set to restart until June 12 at the earliest and looking like it will be later and the remaining Champions League rounds planned for August, City’s hearing could be finished well before the 2019/20 season is even close to completing.

The outcome not only has a big impact on the Blues, but affects United too. If City’s ban us upheld, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men would claim a place in next year’s Champions League by finishing fifth this season.

A verdict before the campaign finished would also give the Blues clarity on their position ahead of the transfer window.