Manchester City will be able to participate in next season’s Champions League after the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld their appeal against their two-year ban from European competitions by UEFA.
The ruling by CAS states that most of the charges levelled at the Citizens in terms of the dishonest concealment of funds were not proven or time-barred.
However, City’s refusal to cooperate with UEFA’s investigation means a fine has been maintained but reduced to €10m.
The verdict will come as an enormous relief for the club and its fans. Their 5-0 win over Brighton on Saturday evening confirmed their place in the next season’s Champions League but there had remained doubts over their participation until today.
Manager Pep Guardiola had stated that he was confident that UEFA’s ban would be overturned, and while the club have still been fined, it means the club can now plan accordingly for next season knowing that they will be playing in Europe’s top competition.
