The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
City ban U-turn is branded disgrace
EPL: Mourinho and Klopp criticise CAS decision
Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho has branded the decision to overturn Manchester City’s European ban “a disgrace” while Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said it was “not a good day for football”.
City saw their two-year expulsion from Uefa competitions lifted by Court of Arbitration for Sport on Monday, meaning they are free to compete in next season’s Champions League.
Their initial fine of ¤30 million euros was reduced to ¤10m ( just under £9m) by the CAS.
Mourinho took exception to that element of the decision, saying if they were not guilty they should not have received any punishment.
He said: “It’s a disgraceful decision. If Man City is not guilty of it, to be punished by some million is a disgrace. If you’re not guilty you’re not punished. In the other way, if you’re guilty you should be banned. So it’s also a disgraceful decision.
“In any case, it’s a disaster. I know that money is quite easy for them but it’s just a principle. Why are you paying 8-9million if you are not guilty?
“My criticism is not for Manchester City. I’m nobody to know if they’re guilty or not. My criticism is of the decision.”
Klopp’s main gripe is the impact on Financial Fair Play, which the German thinks remains important in the game.
He said: “I absolutely don’t wish anybody anything bad. I’m happy that City can play in the Champions League, but I don’t think it was a good day for football to be honest.
“I think FFP is a good idea. It’s there for protecting teams and protecting competition so that nobody overspends and clubs before the season have to make sure that the money they want to spend is from the right sources.
“I really hope FFP stays because it gives at least kind of borders where you can go to but not over. That’s good for football.
“If you start doing that nobody has to care any more at all, then the richest people or countries can do whatever they want in football. That would make the competition really difficult. I think that would lead automatically to kind of a world super league with 10 clubs.”
But Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta, having been at City during the alleged offences, welcomed the decision. Arteta says City’s actions on and off the pitch warrant their place back in Europe.
“There is no question about what happened,” Pep Guardiola’s former assistant said. “They completely deserved to be in the Champions League because what they have done on the pitch is unquestionable.
“The regulators have looked at it and have decided that they haven’t done anything wrong so you have the two aspects that are really clear and transparent.
“They are going to be in the Champions League because they deserve it for what they have done on the pitch and outside of the pitch.”