The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has officially overturned Manchester City’s two-year ban from the UEFA Champions League, allowing the side to participate in the continental competition next season.
The 2018-19 Premier League champions Manchester City were given a major boost yesterday when the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) overturned their two-year ban from the UEFA Champions League, following an appeal from the club.
Manchester City were being investigated under UEFA’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations for reportedly “disguising equity funds as sponsorship contributions,” as per the BBC.
While the court did find that Manchester City did not comply with certain UEFA regulations, they argued that “most of the alleged breaches…were either not established or time-barred,” occurring before the time period in which FFP could be enforced.
In addition, Manchester City’s fine has been reduced from €30m to €10m as per the court’s ruling.
With the side now guaranteed to finish second in the Premier League this season, Manchester City will compete in next years’ Champions League, and still have unfinished business in the current campaign as they await a second-leg Round of 16 match against Real Madrid when the competition resumes.