Manchester City to Learn of Final Decision on UEFA Champions League Ban in July
Manchester City will learn whether their appeal against a potential two-year Champions League ban will be successful sometime in the first half of July.
UEFA had confirmed that the club were to be banned from the competition for the next two seasons over Financial Fair Play breaches back in February. They were also fined €30m (£25m) after they were found to have misled UEFA as well as breaking FFP rules.
Manchester City told they will discover in July the outcome of their appeal against a 2-year European ban.
— Rob Harris (@RobHarris) June 10, 2020
The Court of Arbitration for Sport hearings which began on Monday concluded today pic.twitter.com/IsLwGe34pT
Deeming the sanction unjust, City have since began taking their case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) as they seek to overturn UEFA's ruling. Their appeal was due to last a total of three days.
While the appeal itself will only last a short while, the club will be left in the perilous position of not knowing the outcome of CAS' decision until July, reveals Rob Harris of the Associated Press.
City's current Champions League campaign is already in full swing. Having reached the round of 16 stage this campaign, they hold an advantage over opponents Real Madrid who they beat 2-1 in the first leg of the tie in Spain. When their ruling arrives, it will likely come before the second leg takes place.
With the hearings now over, CAS will deliberate over a decision in the coming weeks in what will have a severe impact on the future of the Pep Guardiola's side. Should their appeal be dismissed, City will be banned from the competition in each of the next two years in which they qualify.
This could result in a mass player exodus, with the likelihood being that the numerous star players City boast in their ranks could seek a move elsewhere to compete in Europe's elite club competition. It's already been rumoured that Kevin De Bruyne could be pushing for an exit in such an instance.
Similar concerns will remain over Guardiola's future, whose current deal expires in 2021. The Spaniard has lifted six domestic trophies during his time at the Etihad, but the Champions League has yet to follow, and whether he would be content with missing out in European football for two whole seasons is a thought City fans would rather avoid.
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