City escape transfer ban as Fifa agrees £315,000 penalty
Manchester City avoided a transfer ban from Fifa for rule breaches in relation to the signing of overseas youth players in part due to the punishments the Premier League champions recommended the world governing body impose on them, The Daily Telegraph has learnt.
City have been fined £315,000 after admitting to a number of breaches regarding the international transfer and registration of players under 18 dating back several years, particularly in relation to their trial periods and participation in friendly matches.
In February, Chelsea were given a two-window transfer embargo for flouting rules around the recruitment of youth players, which followed bans for Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona, and there was widespread expectation City would incur similar punishment.
But the number of regulation breaches made by City is understood to have been substantially fewer than those committed by Chelsea and the Spanish clubs.
Fifa found Chelsea – who are appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to have their ban overturned – were guilty of breaches in 29 of 92 cases it investigated. But the figure involving City – while more than single figures – is said to be much less.
All of the Article 19 breaches, which involved players from inside and outside the European Union, occurred before December 2016, when Fifa issued new guidance on interpretation of the rules.
It has also emerged that what sources described as City’s “very open” dialogue and cooperation with Fifa from the moment they first engaged with the world governing body back in 2014 were additional factors behind the disciplinary committee’s decision not to issue a ban. As part of that dialogue, City are understood to have proposed clear sanctions for Fifa to issue against them. It is understood they did not include the recommendation of a ban.
Last year, two players from Danish club Nordsjaelland’s Right to Dream football academy in Ghana – Sierra Leone’s George Davies and Ghanaian Dominic Oduro – told Danish newspaper Jyllands-posten that they signed for City and played in youth matches before they turned 18.
In a statement, City said they “accept responsibility for the breaches which arose as a result of misinterpretation of the regulations in question”.
Fifa said its disciplinary committee “took into account the fact that Manchester City accepted its responsibility” and that the “effective enforcement” of rules protecting minors was “paramount”.
City are still being investigated by Uefa over allegations of Financial Fair Play irregularities. These include claims only £8million from City’s £67.5 million sponsorship deal with Etihad was paid by the airline and that the rest of the money was paid directly by the club’s Abu Dhabi owners.
The Football Association is looking into allegations City breached regulations when signing winger Jadon Sancho from Watford in 2015.