This would put a dampener on Manchester City’s title celebrations
Manchester City’s triumphant Premier League title celebrations have been punctured somewhat after news emerged that UEFA were seeking to ban the club from next season’s Champions League.
City were successful in their pursuit of a second successive Premier League title on Sunday, beating Brighton and Hove Albion 4-1 to finish one point ahead of second-placed Liverpool, who defeated Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-0 at Anfield.
A report by the New York Times on Monday states that an investigation by the European football governing body regarding claims that the UAE-backed club intentionally misled financial regulators could result in Pep Guardiola’s side being prevented from competing in Europe’s premier club competition for the 2019/20 season.
According to the report, officials at UEFA and the Premier League have for months been investigating City’s financial dealings after a slew of leaks claiming the club had broken Financial Fair Play regulations.
UEFA’s group investigating City’s finances are believed to have finalised their conclusions during a meeting in Nyon, Switzerland two weeks ago.
Should City – whose current squad has been amassed at a cost believed to be close to £1 billion – face a ban it is unknown whether it could be enforced in time for next season’s competition, due to the likelihood of an appeal and, should that fail, a later appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
