City await decision on Champions League ban

Manchester City’s hopes of playing in next season’s Champions League rest on the outcome of an appeal due to be announced this morning.

City were handed a two-year ban from the competition and a 30 million euros (£24.9 million) fine in February after being found guilty of “serious breaches” of club licensing and Financial Fair Play regulations.

The club swiftly signalled its intention to appeal amid speculation that the punishment could cost it some of its biggest names as well as manager Pep Guardiola, and the Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport will deliver its verdict at 9.30am UK time.

Sanctions were imposed by European-governing body Uefa’s club financial control body after it ruled that City had broken the rules by “overstating its sponsorship revenue in its accounts and in the break-even information submitted to Uefa between 2012 and 2016”, in the process accusing officials of failing to co-operate with its investigation.

However, the club vigorously denied any wrongdoing from the off, dismissing the probe as “flawed” and “prejudicial” and vowing to challenge its conclusions.

The investigation followed claims in German magazine Der Spiegel, based on leaked documents, that City’s owner

Sheikh Mansour was topping up the value of sponsorship agreements, in breach of FFP rules introduced at the start of the 2011-2012 season.

The club, which refuted the magazine’s claims, sought to have the investigation halted while it was in progress, but CAS ruled in November last year that that appeal was “inadmissible” because at that stage, the CFCB had not determined what, if any, sanctions City should face.

Guardiola’s side are scheduled to face Real Madrid in the second leg of their last-16 tie next month with this season’s Champions League to be decided in Portugal.

Pep Guardiola: preparing his side for second leg of last-16 clash with Real Madrid.