BLUES BOSS MEGA DEAL
City are fined £49million for breaking Financial Fair Play (FFP) and have their Champions League squad reduced from 25 to 21 players for 2014-15.
November 2018
German news magazine Der Spiegel publishes a series of leaks, claiming City manipulated sponsorship deals to comply with FFP, chiefly that the Abu Dhabi United Group, which owns City, pumped money into the club, under the guise of external sponsorship deals, to meet the UEFA-imposed limit on losses.
UEFA launch an investigation into the allegations, which City brand as “false accusations”, claiming they are based solely on the “illegal hacking and out of context publication of City emails”.
UEFA refer City to their Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) following the conclusion of the investigation, which determines there is a case to answer.
City lodge a formal appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over UEFA’s decision to refer them to the CFCB. The appeal to have the investigation thrown out is rejected by CAS.
City are banned from European competition by UEFA for two years and fined £25m for “serious breaches” of FFP. City launch an immediate appeal with CAS.
City win their appeal with CAS, who overturn the two-year European ban, but still impose a fine of £9m, after concluding the club failed to co-operate with and obstructed the investigation process.
FROM BACK PAGE ruled in their favour. The ruling means City are free to carry on playing in the Champions League (above, Kevin De Bruyne scoring in the last-16 tie at Real Madrid whom they face in the second leg next month) and has removed the threat of an exodus of players.
City bosses will also use the decision to persuade Guardiola – who is in the final year of his £20milliona-year contract – to sign a new long-term deal.
They had been accused of falsely inflating the value of sponsorship deals – effectively ‘selfsponsorship’ – to comply with FFP, a charge the club had always denied. CAS dismissed the allegation.
Leftback has been a problem position for City, with Benjamin Mendy, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Angelino all having failed to convince. Leicester’s Chilwell has emerged as a viable target, but would cost City in the region of £60m.
With 16 goals from 18 games for Borussia Dortmund since i hi his J January move, Haaland has underlined his status as Europe’s deadliest young striker. But such prowess comes at a price, with the 19-year-old valued at £100m on the current market.
While
a striker is a more pressing concern for City, with Sergio Aguero entering the final year of his contract and Gabriel Jesus remaining inconsistent, speedy winger Traore is on Guardiola’s radar, but he may balk at Wolves’ £70m valuation.