Manchester City have been banned from UEFA club competitions for TWO seasons and handed a €30m fine over breaches of Financial Fair Play.
UEFA said that the defending Premier League champions had committed 'serious breaches of the Uefa Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations by overstating its sponsorship revenue in its accounts and in the break-even information submitted to Uefa between 2012 and 2016'.
The ban will rule City out of the 2020/21 and 2021/22 renewals of the Champions League, regardless of whether they qualify for them.
UEFA's Adjudicatory Chamber also said City had 'failed to cooperate in the investigation of this case'
City have the right to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and in a statement said they were 'disappointed but not surprised' by the verdict.
The City statement read: “The Club has always anticipated the ultimate need to seek out an independent body and process to impartially consider the comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence in support of its position.
“In December 2018, the UEFA Chief Investigator publicly previewed the outcome and sanction he intended to be delivered to Manchester City, before any investigation had even begun. The subsequent flawed and consistently leaked UEFA process he oversaw has meant that there was little doubt in the result that he would deliver. The Club has formally complained to the UEFA Disciplinary body, a complaint which was validated by a CAS ruling.
“Simply put, this is a case initiated by UEFA, prosecuted by UEFA and judged by UEFA. With this prejudicial process now over, the Club will pursue an impartial judgment as quickly as possible and will therefore, in the first instance, commence proceedings with the Court of Arbitration for Sport at the earliest opportunity."
