Manchester City's ban from European football overturned

[snoop1130]

Manchester City's ban from European football overturned

By Simon Evans

 

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Manchester City v Newcastle United - Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - July 8, 2020 Manchester City's Riyad Mahrez celebrates scoring their second goal with teammates, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) REUTERS / Lee Smith / Pool

 

MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - Manchester City's two-year suspension from European football was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Monday, allowing the club to compete in next season's elite Champions League competition.

 

CAS ruled that City did not breach Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules by disguising equity funding as sponsorship. Sport's highest court also reduced a fine for failing to cooperate with UEFA to 10 million euros from 30 million euros.

 

"Most of the alleged breaches reported by the (UEFA) Adjudicatory Chamber of the CFCB (Club Financial Control Body)were either not established or time-barred," CAS said in a statement.

 

European soccer's governing body UEFA ruled in February that City had committed serious FFP breaches and failed to cooperate with its investigation.

 

Missing out on the Champions League would have cost City, who have denied any wrongdoing, as much as 100 million pounds in prize money and broadcast revenue, as well as matchday and other revenues.

 

The FFP regulations are designed to stop clubs running up big losses through spending on players. They also ensure sponsorship deals are based on their real market value and are genuine commercial agreements -- and not ways for owners to pump cash into a club to get around the rules.

 

CAS said its full legal ruling, with details of the case and the decision, would be published in the coming days.

 

"Whilst Manchester City and its legal advisors are yet to review the full ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the Club welcomes the implications of today’s ruling as a validation of the Club’s position and the body of evidence that it was able to present," City said in a statement https://www.mancity.com/news/club/club-statement-uefa-cas-verdict-63730222.

 

"The Club wishes to thank the panel members for their diligence and the due process that they administered," the Premier League club added.

 

UEFA had said City had committed "serious breaches" of the FFP rule in information submitted to them between 2012 and 2016.

 

However, Article 37 of UEFA's own procedural rules covering the CFCB states that "Prosecution is barred after five years for all breaches of the UEFA Club Licensing and FFP Rules".

 

UEFA said it remained committed to FFP.

 

"UEFA notes that the CAS panel found that there was insufficient conclusive evidence to uphold all of the CFCB’s conclusions in this specific case and that many of the alleged breaches were time-barred due to the 5 year time period foreseen in the UEFA regulations.

 

"Over the last few years, Financial Fair Play has played a significant role in protecting clubs and helping them become financially sustainable and UEFA and ECA (European Club Association) remain committed to its principles."

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-07-13

 

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[mrbojangles]

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Quote

CAS ruled that City did not breach Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules by disguising equity funding as sponsorship.

 

Justice against UEFA corruption is all I have to say on the matter.

[blazes]

One law for the rich and one law for.....

[mrbojangles]

3 hours ago, blazes said:

One law for the rich and one law for.....

 

More like one law for the top table elite :i.e. United, Real Madrid, Barca, Juventus etc and one rule for the rest who have to go all the way through to CAS to prove their innocence against charges from a corrupt UEFA.

 

Charges initiated by Uefa, prosecuted by Uefa and judged by Uefa but overturned by a neutral CAS

[blazes]

12 minutes ago, mrbojangles said:

 

More like one law for the top table elite :i.e. United, Real Madrid, Barca, Juventus etc and one rule for the rest who have to go all the way through to CAS to prove their innocence against charges from a corrupt UEFA.

 

Charges initiated by Uefa, prosecuted by Uefa and judged by Uefa but overturned by a neutral CAS

 

For once I confess to having to join one of my good friends on TV who is often "confused".  Like Mr Higgot I am totally confused by this.

I see the names of Man U, Real Madrid etc, who are, correctly, identified as the "top table elite", but no mention of Manchester City who are right there among the elite of the elite.

Are you putting Man City on the same level as the "poor"...the Bournemouths of this world?????

 

UEFA may well be corrupt, but to (apparently) argue that Man City is among the poor and the defenceless against the might of UEFA is contrary to all common sense.

Please clarify.

 

[Nigel Garvie]

UEFA and indeed FIFA are of course corrupt, FIFA has retreated from the supreme pinnacle of corruption it once enjoyed it would be fair to say. FFP looks dead in the water, but Man City were hardly alone in destroying it, PSG for one. With the vast sums of money involved it is hardly surprising.

[mrbojangles]

1 hour ago, blazes said:

 

For once I confess to having to join one of my good friends on TV who is often "confused".  Like Mr Higgot I am totally confused by this.

I see the names of Man U, Real Madrid etc, who are, correctly, identified as the "top table elite", but no mention of Manchester City who are right there among the elite of the elite.

Are you putting Man City on the same level as the "poor"...the Bournemouths of this world?????

 

UEFA may well be corrupt, but to (apparently) argue that Man City is among the poor and the defenceless against the might of UEFA is contrary to all common sense.

Please clarify.

 

 

I'm talking about the European elite and not the prem clubs. This subject is about UEFA and the CL and so I am only comparing to the european elite. To clear up any confusion, no I am not saying we are the same as Bournemouth but regarding clubs in europe,, Martin Samuels says it better than I can:-

 

Quote

Financial fair play, an idea that could have been a force for good in the game — and still could be, given the economic inequality soon to be wreaked by Covid-19 — was hijacked by a powerful cabal and contorted to serve their protectionist interests.

 

City threatened the hierarchy. They wanted the right to come in, to play, to be allowed to challenge those who see football's riches and its spoils as their birth right. 

 

And they won't be welcome, certainly not now having scored such a public victory. Not even having won at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, having been exonerated of the worst accusations, by an independent panel of lawyers.

Manchester City have no constituency. That is their problem. They are too big and successful to hang out with their old gang, the smaller clubs, the ones who are dictated to from on high. But they are too much of a threat to be received by the traditional elite, either domestically or in Europe.

 

Seeking potential allies during the nervous weeks before CAS's verdict, a City employee idly clicked on the website of the European Clubs Association. There they were, the ECA's men of influence: from Manchester United, Arsenal, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus, AC Milan, Bayern Munich.

 

It read like a who's who of every club that had ever spoken out or denounced City. They've got no friends there and should know that by now. Financial fair play is the elite's power grab. It is their ploy to turn a moment in time into permanence. And Manchester City broke through.  

 

If you are a fan of Newcastle, Everton, Wolves, Tottenham, any club thinking big but currently on the outside looking in, you should cheer this victory from the rafters. If this leaves UEFA's FFP regulations damaged, it means you still have a chance.

 

The elite don't want you to have a chance. They think all the tomorrows should belong to them.

 

[khunken]

21 minutes ago, mrbojangles said:

 

I'm talking about the European elite and not the prem clubs. This subject is about UEFA and the CL and so I am only comparing to the european elite. To clear up any confusion, no I am not saying we are the same as Bournemouth but regarding clubs in europe,, Martin Samuels says it better than I can:-

 

 

I don't read the Daily mail (I had to Google who Martin Samuel is) and while he is entitled to his opinion, I disagree.

 

The elite clubs had nothing to do with the case beyond not supporting City. I would say that if any of the elite clubs were in the same position as City, that club would also not be supported by the rest as the business (not sport) of European & top league clubs is to protect their own interests & any way to to hinder the opposition.

 

Manchester City are knocking at the door of the elite and will get in when they obtain some sort of European Cup winning record which they may well do.

 

I don't know all the details of the case against City & am glad it's finished. City do deserve their place in Europe next season. But making the whole episode out to be some sort of conspiracy against City is nothing but journalistic hyperbole.

[mrbojangles]

2 hours ago, khunken said:

I don't read the Daily mail (I had to Google who Martin Samuel is) and while he is entitled to his opinion, I disagree.

 

The elite clubs had nothing to do with the case beyond not supporting City. I would say that if any of the elite clubs were in the same position as City, that club would also not be supported by the rest as the business (not sport) of European & top league clubs is to protect their own interests & any way to to hinder the opposition.

 

Manchester City are knocking at the door of the elite and will get in when they obtain some sort of European Cup winning record which they may well do.

 

I don't know all the details of the case against City & am glad it's finished. City do deserve their place in Europe next season. But making the whole episode out to be some sort of conspiracy against City is nothing but journalistic hyperbole.

 

It's not just a conspiracy against City, it's against any new comers. This isn't new, we have been saying it for years on here, it's about the top table not wanting anyone else. Have you never heard of the G-14? They are the top table and set all the rules, not surprisingly to protect their own interests. Although they are now supposedly disbanded. Google it.

 

The FFP was supposed to have been about ensuring clubs don't spend too much and have huge debt. Guess what teams have the biggest debt's but are allowed to get away with it?

 

You are more than welcome to disagree and have your view but I've got mine and I've had the same view for years. It'll be interesting to see if Newcastle are allowed to compete if their deal goes through because under the current rules, no matter how much money they have, they can't spend it