Manchester City banned from CL for 2 seasons and fined 30 million euros | CAS - Ban lifted, fined 10 million

[JPRouve]

As we all expected, they broke the rules but UEFA found out through illegal means and/or it happened too long ago.

The 10 million is for not cooperating with UEFA, nothing to do with their dodgy funding.

Huge hit to UEFA's reputation and power. FFP is over now, clubs like PSG will see this as carte blanche to go nuts in the transfer market.

PSG already knew that, that's why PSG have done the same things but in daylight and allegedly told UEFA to try to go to CAS.

 

[Wonder Pigeon]

Sheikh Mansour probably loses 10 million down the side of the couch every other week.

 

[Irrational.]

UEFA should simply dissolve their organisation.

 

[ROFLUTION]

Seriously, Woodward, Real, Bayern etc. Create that private super League for non sheiks only. Get moving. Cancel CL

 

[Matriac]

This is Article 56 btw that CAS have said they have contravened -

So CAS is not saying that City didn't break the FFP rules, but this decision and punishment was only related to the fact that City did not properly disclose to UEFA that they had broken the rules?

 

[Amarsdd]

so basically all the billionaire's toy clubs can just refuse to provide their financial details to UEFA and just take a 10m fine for not cooperating when they want to fiddle with their finances.

 

[Cpt Negative]

Well, looks like it’s time to reform or disband UEFA

 

[Inigo Montoya]

FFP is dead if this is the ruling CAS is going to make. Is there any higher authority UEFA can appeal it too?

God,Brahma,Allah,Jehovah,Buddha,Voldemort,Sauron...I don't know mate

 

[Schmeichel's Cartwheel]

Said it all along. Ban overturned, fine reduced.

Money talks.

 

[Makelele]

So CAS is not saying that City didn't break the FFP rules, but this decision and punishment was only related to the fact that City did not properly disclose to UEFA that they had broken the rules?

No, they didn't cooperate. By the sounds of it they didnt cooperate because they could see from day 1 that UEFA was not going to give them due process anyway. This CAS verdict kind of confirms it.

 

[sun_tzu]

So CAS is not saying that City didn't break the FFP rules, but this decision and punishment was only related to the fact that City did not properly disclose to UEFA that they had broken the rules?

its pretty clear in the media release

Its in the media release
https://www.tas-cas.org/fileadmin/user_upload/CAS_Media_Release_6785_Decision.pdf
Following the hearing, the CAS Panel deliberated and concluded that the decision issued on 14 February 2020 by the Adjudicatory Chamber of the CFCB should be set aside and replaced by the following:

a.) MCFC has contravened Article 56 of the Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations.
b.) MCFC shall pay a fine of EUR 10,000,000 to the UEFA, within 30 days as from the date of issuance of the arbitral award. The CAS award emphasized that most of the alleged breaches reported by the Adjudicatory Chamber of the CFCB were either not established or time-barred.

As the charges with respect to any dishonest concealment of equity funding were clearly more significant violations than obstructing the CFCB’s investigations, it was not appropriate to impose a ban on participating in UEFA’s club competitions for MCFC’s failure to cooperate with the CFCB’s investigations alone.
However, considering
i) the financial resources of MCFC;
ii) the importance of the cooperation of clubs in investigations conducted by the CFCB, because of its limited investigative means; and
iii) MCFC’s disregard of such principle and its obstruction of the investigations, the CAS Panel found that a significant fine should be imposed on MCFC and considered it appropriate to reduce UEFA’s initial fine by 2/3, i.e. to the amount of EUR 10 million.

The final award with reasons will be published on the CAS website in a few days.

 

[sparx99]

So they’re not vindicated, they’re still guilty. But the breaches happened too long ago..

It also seems the article they breached showed they withheld the information presumably so that it couldn’t be investigated at the time! So just hold onto the information and pay €10m fine and you can get away with whatever circumvention you like!

 

[anant]

Just end FFP officially now. No point having having it, considering the CAS decision means the clubs can repeat this in the future as well.

 

[Coops73]

What a toothless organisation UEFA are.

 

[Barnslig]

Yeah, the rest of the teams in the CL should boycott the competition, this is an absolute joke.

 

[Fluctuation0161]

FFP has always been a joke and this proves it. Sucks for us that City was correct in this, but they did football a favour in challenging UEFA/FIFA. Those nutbags doenst know what they're doing.

City were not correct. They have been found guilty but the punishment was reduced.

 

[LawCharltonBest]

Reminds me of the Dominic Cummings thing.

What motivation is there for people to play by the rules now? Everyone can just break them and point to the city case.

Wonderful day for the incoming Newcastle owners too. They now know they can do whatever they want.

 

[diarm]

The tragedy here is that because of Covid, Messrs Santos, McDougall and Haas are probably going to have to wait months to fly out to the Seychelles and access their shiny new bank accounts.

 

[ThierryHenry]

How demoralising. Clear corruption.

 

[neilv93]

UEFA did its thing, the CAS is clearly corrupt here

That's the more worrying facet IMO. Everyone knows UEFA and FIFA are corrupt but the fact that CAS are performing in this manner too leaves no hope for anyone.

 

[Rafaeldagold]

Wow UEFA looks incompetent with no power now.
FFP is totally dead as an idea now

 

[Barnslig]

The tragedy here is that because of Covid, Messrs Santos, McDougall and Haas are probably going to have to wait months to fly out to the Seychelles and access their shiny new bank accounts.

Proper first world problems that.

 

[Andycoleno9]

Wrong. If anyone is a joke then it is UEFA. Sounds like their case lacked any serious merits.

I am not talking about UEFA's competence. I am talking about their jurisdiction and reputation.
Third party just canceled their decision regarding club which is in UEFA's jurisdiction.

It is like you ban your kid to have a phone and then third party allows your kid to have a phone. And then you watch your kid under your roof using that phone. You lose all credibility there.

 

[Mickeza]

I actually think it’s better for us that city didn’t get banned - concentrating on just the PL would have been a massive advantage to them. However, that verdict is insane. They obstructed the investigation. So as such there is no conclusive evidence. So they get fined 10m. This now means If you’ve broken FFP rules all you have to do is obstruct investigators so they never get the evidence to prove it. The punishment for doing so is essentially nothing. Absolute farce.

 

[YAMS49]

Doesn't happen on Football Manager, UEFA still have a set of balls on that.

 

[Djemba-Djemba]

Gutted.

I fecking hate City.

 

[sewey89]

So the fine is for them not co-operating with the initial investigations. All other charges were thrown out or time barred (over 5 years old, which by bringing the charges in the first place, UEFA were breaking their own FFP rules). Like it or not, it seems that City didn't do a great deal wrong and this is the right decision.

 

[Guy Incognito]

Yeah, the rest of the teams in the CL should boycott the competition, this is an absolute joke.

They will force a breakaway. They aren't happy with UEFA's marketability.

 

[Barnslig]

I am not talking about UEFA's competence. I am talking about their jurisdiction and reputation.
Third party just canceled their decision regarding club which is in UEFA's jurisdiction.

It is like you ban your kid to have a phone and then third party allows your kid to have a phone. And then you watch your kid under your roof using that phone. You lose all credibility there.

Good analogy that, your kid will never respect your decision again.

 

[Amarsdd]

Proper first world problems that.

more like newly-made multimillionaire word problems

 

[siw2007]

Disappointing but obvious news. FFP is dodgy ground so it’s not surprising that the ban was overturned, though I was thinking it would be reduced to 1 game. I still think City’s ownership is immoral due to financial and political reasons, I’m sure the tide will turn against them eventually.

In the mean time, it doesn’t change what we have to do. Our success this season isn’t dependant on this decision but is dependant on our performances from here on out.

 

[JohnnyKills]

Seriously, Woodward, Real, Bayern etc. Create that private super League for non sheiks only. Get moving. Cancel CL

This must be on the cards now. For owners like the Glazers and FSG, City are terrible for business - all they do is jack up wages and transfer fees.

Uefa and Fifa are clearly impotent. The best people to police football are the (non-state-funded) clubs themselves.

 

[Rolaholic]

Welp, RIP FFP

Might also be the final nail in UEFA's coffin

 

[The holy trinity 68]

This is the final nail in the coffin for City fans wanting to be accepted as a proper football club. The fans always cry that “why do all other teams fans hate us”, well you are never going to be liked or accepted now. Forever staying in the shadow of Manchester United and Liverpool FC.

 

[horsechoker]

I actually think it’s better for us that city didn’t get banned - concentrating on just the PL would have been a massive advantage to them. However, that verdict is insane. They obstructed the investigation. So as such there is no conclusive evidence. So they get fined 10m. This now means If you’ve broken FFP rules all you have to do is obstruct investigators so they never get the evidence to prove it. The punishment for doing so is essentially nothing. Absolute farce.

It probably helps Liverpool more. If City were only focused on the PL and had a week's break after almost every game they would most likely win the title.

 

[Freak]

What an absolute joke.

 

[Squeaky Bumtime]

Can somoene explain this to me as I'm 3 years old. So they're guilty but they only got a slap on a wrist?

 

[kouroux]

That's the more worrying facet IMO. Everyone knows UEFA and FIFA are corrupt but the fact that CAS are performing in this manner too leaves no hope for anyone.

I don't why people thought CAS was this beacon of honesty and objectivity. Lots of their rulings over the years are always debated

 

[OnlyTwoDaSilvas]

If you've got a multi-billionaire owner, seems like you might as well just pay the 10m fine and break the rules than to try and comply.

Seems like the only clubs who are actually being stung by FFP are smaller clubs who are struggling financially, rather than the oil-rich clubs, which was the whole reason FFP was brought in. Lots of clubs have had European bans upheld, and they are mostly clubs who were not in Europe or anywhere near qualification that year anyway. It's just a face-saving exercise.

I don't really care how City spend their money, but there has to be consistency. They might as well just scrap the whole thing.

 

[Berbasbullet]

This is the final nail in the coffin for City fans wanting to be accepted as a proper football club. The fans always cry that “why do all other teams fans hate us”, well you are never going to be liked or accepted. Forever staying in the shadow of Manchester United and Liverpool FC.

Exactly, tin pot nothing club.