Manchester City register appeal against UEFA ban with CAS
Manchester City's appeal against their two-year European ban and 30 million euro fine has been officially registered by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Cityhavevowedtofightthe sanction imposed by UEFA on February 14 for breaching Financial Fair Play regulations, claimingtheyhave"irrefutable evidence" backing their case.
Although CAS did not indicate a time-frame for the appeal process, it is expected to take several months.
In a statement CAS said: "The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has registered an appeal filed by Manchester City football club against the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).
"The appeal is directed against the decision of the Adjudicatory Chamber of the UEFA Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) dated 14 February2020inwhichManchester
City was deemed to have contravened UEFA's Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations and sanctioned with exclusion from the next twoseasonsofUEFAclubcompetitions for which the club would qualify and ordered to pay a fine of 30 million euros.
"Generally speaking, CAS appealarbitrationprocedures involveanexchangeofwritten submissionsbetweentheparties while a panel of CAS arbitrators is being convened.
"Once the panel has been formally constituted it issues proceduraldirections,including, inter alia, with respect to the holding of a hearing. Following the hearing, the panel deliberatesandthenissuesits decision in the form of an arbitral award. It is not possible toindicateatthistimewhena final award in this matter will be issued."
City's sanction followed a UEFA probe last year in the wakeofthepublicationofdocuments obtained by the German magazine Der Spiegel which raised questions over the extent of the club's sponsorship deals.
Whilst City have made clear that they wholly reject UEFA'sfindings,theymayalso seek to strengthen their case by arguing that the governing body'sfinancialfairplayrules are unenforceable. Since the sanction was imposed, City coach Pep Guardiola has moved to allay fears that it couldleadtoanexodusofstar players and officials from the club. Guardiola has committed his future to the club, and said: "We were under suspicion for a long time but we havetherighttoappeal.Itrust the people in my club."