Hearing opens as Man City appeal two-year European ban

Manchester City’s Appeal against a Two-years European Ban starts on Monday as The Club appeals before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Monday by videoconference, a court official told AFP.

Manchester city have reportedly been accused of overstating sponsorship revenue to hide their failure to comply with UEFA’s financial fair-play (FFP) rules between 2012 and 2016. In addition to the ban, they were also fined 30 million euros ($34 million, £27 million).

“The hearing has started well and the video conference is working well,” Matthieu Reeb, the secretary general of the Lausanne-based CAS, said.

The remote hearing, which pits Manchester City against UEFA lawyers, opened 09:00 local time (0700 GMT) and is scheduled to last three days before closing on Wednesday evening.

Reeb said a decision could announced in July.

Even if City’s appeal to CAS fails, the English champions could present a further appeal before the Swiss Federal Court, also based in Lausanne.

UEFA’s case was prompted by a series of leaked emails published by German magazine Der Spiegel in 2018 that seemed to show how City manufactured extra sponsorship revenue from a series of companies with connections to the club’s Abu Dhabi-based owner Sheikh Mansour.

Under the Sheikh’s ownership, City’s fortunes have been transformed, winning four Premier League titles in the past eight years.

However, the billions invested in players and managers have not yet delivered the club’s first Champions League title.

The Manchester city official tweets stated clearly that if the case fails at the court of Arbitration, the could futher present an appeal to the Swiss court.

If @ManCity's appeal to the CAS fails they could present a further appeal before the Swiss Federal Court.

[via @AFP] pic.twitter.com/mXQS2MZ89l

— City Report (@cityreport_) June 7, 2020