Manchester City officially appeal against Uefa FFP action | OneFootball

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has confirmed that Manchester City have appealed against Uefa’s investigation into alleged breaches of Financial Fair Play (FFP).

The Premier League champions reportedly face possible expulsion from the Champions League following allegations made via German magazine Der Spiegel last year that they had deceived European football’s governing body when it came to their compliance with FFP.

City have strongly denied all allegations but the case was referred to Uefa’s Club Financial Control Body’s adjudicatory chamber last month for further investigation.

A recent report by the New York Times claimed Pep Guardiola’s side were facing at least a one season ban from the Champions League as a result of the investigation but according to the Associated Press, the club are challenging Uefa’s right to send the case to their adjudicatory chamber for a ruling to be made.

They reportedly believe they have no case to answer and are also contesting the “legitimacy and haste of the investigation”.

And now the CAS has confirmed that an appeal has officially been lodged.

“The appeal is filed against decisions taken by the Investigatory Chamber (IC) of the UEFA Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) regarding MCFC’s alleged non-compliance with UEFA’s Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations,” read a statement released by the CAS on Thursday.

“An arbitration procedure will now be initiated and will involve an exchange of written submissions between the parties while a Panel of CAS arbitrators is convened to hear the appeal.

“Once the Panel has been formally constituted, it will issue a procedural calendar. It is not possible to say at this time when the Arbitral Award for this matter will be issued.

“CAS will not provide any further information in relation to this procedure, except to issue a Media Release announcing the Panel’s decision.”

City have yet to make a comment on this latest development, but an official club statement released last month denied any wrongdoing.

“The accusation of financial irregularities remains entirely false and the CFCB IC referral ignores a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence provided by Manchester City FC to the Chamber,” read the club’s statement.

“The decision contains mistakes, misinterpretations and confusions fundamentally borne out of a basic lack of due process and there remain significant unresolved matters raised by Manchester City FC as part of what the Club has found to be a wholly unsatisfactory, curtailed, and hostile process.”