Manchester City’s Appeal Against Two-Year Ban from Europe

Fans of Manchester City were left disappointed on February 14 when UEFA announced the ban of Manchester City from the Champions League for the next two seasons. UEFA is the governing body of football in Europe. It has not only banned Manchester City but also fined them about $32 Million.

Manchester City has denied the allegations levied by UEFA and called the whole investigation to be flawed. Therefore, City has appealed against its ban in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). CAS is a Switzerland-based court. It settles legal disputes of different sports in various countries. CAS has not given any definite timeline about the decision to be made on the appeal of Manchester City.

However, the stances of the management of Manchester City and Manchester United differ. Ed Woodward, the executive vice-chairman of Manchester United, said that UEFA is committed to ensuring transparency through the Financial Fair Play. He praised the UEFA and talked about the positive impacts their regulations have on football clubs.

In a press conference, Woodward said that UEFA had played an essential role in increasing the profit margins of the football leagues in Europe. However, he declined to directly comment on City’s two-year ban. Despite having a bad season until now, he expressed optimism about the upcoming matches of Manchester United.

After this whole controversy, many people expected top management of Manchester City to step down. However, Pep Guardiola – Manager of Manchester City – has categorically said that he is not going to leave the club. He wishes to help Manchester City make it to the top and maintain the level there. Moreover, he expressed full confidence in his club and said that his club is ready to fight the legal battles just like any other football matches.

Currently, City stands second in the English Premier League far behind the leading club Liverpool, which has a tremendous season going on. Guardiola still aims for his club to make it to the finals of the Champions League and participate in the next two seasons.