Man City intend to appeal 'unsurprising' Champions League ban | OneFootball

Manchester City have announced their intent to appeal the club’s ban from the Champions League at the earliest opportunity.

UEFA announced that the Premier League champions have been expelled from the competition for the next two seasons and fined €30 million.

That relates to breaches of Financial Fair Play regulations and overstating sponsorship revenue, while failing to co-operate with the investigation.

“We are disappointed but not surprised by today’s announcement,” the club stated via a press release.

“The club has always anticipated the ultimate need to seek out an independent body and process to impartially consider the comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence in support of its position.

“In December 2018, the UEFA Chief Investigator publicly previewed the outcome and sanction he intended to be delivered to Manchester City, before any investigation had even begun.

“The subsequent flawed and consistently leaked UEFA process he oversaw has meant that there was little doubt in the result that he would deliver.

“We have formally complained to the UEFA disciplinary body, a complaint which was validated by a CAS ruling. Simply put, this is a case initiated by UEFA, prosecuted by UEFA and judged by UEFA.

“With this prejudicial process now over, we will pursue an impartial judgment as quickly as possible and will therefore, in the first instance, commence proceedings with the Court of Arbitration for Sport at the earliest opportunity.”

City do have the right appeal to take their case to CAS, while UEFA have confirmed that they will make no further comment on the matter until that process is complete.