AGENCIES, London: English Premier League champion Manchester City has been banned from the Champions League for two seasons by Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) on Friday. UEFA said it has evidence of “serious breaches” of spending rules and failing to cooperate with investigators in a seismic ruling against one of world football’s wealthiest clubs.
United Arab Emirates’ capital Abu Dhabi-owned team was also fined $33mn after an investigation that was sparked by leaked internal correspondence showing City overstated sponsorship revenue and masked the source of revenue from deals. This according to the investigators was done in a bid to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations.
As a result, the punishment prevents City from playing in any European competition, including the Europa League, until the 2022-23 season.
Analysts say such a decision could have a significant impact on the club’s ability to sign or retain players and its manager Pep Incidently, Guardiola’s contract expires after next season.
The verdict was delivered on Friday to City following a hearing of UEFA’s club financial control body on Jan. 22.
