Manchester City will get to play UEFA Champions League next season after all. The Premier League side won their appeal to Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and will avoid the previously handed two-year ban from European competitions.
Adjudicatory Chamber of the Independent Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) issued the ban to Man City, alongside $30 million fine, after finding them in “serious breach” of UEFA’s Financial Fair Play. The club decided to appeal to CAS, which ended up voiding the ban and lowering the fine to $10 million.
According to CAS’s ruling, the reported allegations against City “were either not established or time-barred,” and the court also found flaws during the process of CFCB’s investigation.
Man City confirmed the news on social media, saying that they “welcome the implications of today’s ruling.”
This represents great news for Manchester City, as the club already secured a spot in Champions League next season. They are also alive in this season’s edition of the tournament, being set for a round-of-16 rematch against Real Madrid on Etihad Stadium. The first game ended with a 2-1 win for City.
However, several Premier League clubs will view the decision as a disappointment. In case that the CAS upheld the ban, there would be another spot in UCL for grabs in a crowded battle between Manchester United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Sheffield United. Now, however, one of these teams will have to contend with the Europa League spot.
