The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) confirmed their decision on Manchester City’s appeal against their Champions League ban on Monday and ruled in favour of the Premier League side who can now participate in the 2020/21 Champions League competition.

Manchester City’s two-year UEFA ban from European football has been overturned the Lausanne-based court said on Monday. CAS ruled that City did not breach financial fair play rules by disguising equity funding as sponsorship, but imposed a 10 million euro fine for failing to cooperate with UEFA

Serious breaches

The Premier League club were seeking to overturn UEFA’s decision to ban them from European competition for the next two seasons, along with a fine of €30million (£27.2m), after finding them guilty of “serious breaches” of Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations.

City have persistently denied wrongdoing in relation to the matter, which stemmed from a series of articles published by Der Spiegel in November 2018, drawing on information purportedly obtained by the whistleblower Football Leaks.

“The club has always anticipated the ultimate need to seek out an independent body and process to impartially consider the comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence in support of its position,” read a statement at the time from City, who UEFA said had “failed to cooperate” with the investigation.

City have already secured a top-four finish in the Premier League this season, which will mean a place in the 2020-21 Champions League after the verdict being overturned.

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