CAS Overturn Manchester City Champions League Ban

Manchester City will be playing Champions League football next season after a successful appeal against Uefa’s ban was announced this morning.

City were handed a two-year ban from Uefa’s competition and a £24.9million fine in February after being found guilty of “serious breaches” of club licensing and Financial Fair Play regulations.

The club swiftly signalled its intention to appeal amid speculation that the punishment could cost it some of its biggest names as well as manager Pep Guardiola, and the Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport delivered its verdict at 9.30 am BST.

Uefa issued the ban in February after ruling City had committed “serious breaches” of Financial Fair Play regulations between 2012 and 2016. City’s fine has been cut from 30m euros (£26.9m) to 10m euros.

In delivering the ruling on Monday, Cas said City did “fail to cooperate with Uefa authorities” but overturned the decision by Uefa’s club financial control body (CFCB) to ban them.