Leading figures express concerns over Manchester City's participation: UEFA appear powerless
Leading figures in football are concerned that Manchester City could still play in the Champions League next season, the BBC reports. The anonymous figures say it would not be appropriate if the club, which is facing a huge punishment, were allowed to earn millions from that tournament or another European competition.
At the end of September, news emerged that the Premier League had found City guilty of breaching 114 of the 115 charges. Between 2009 and 2018, City concealed the equivalent of around one billion euros in income through sham contracts with commercial partners.
City have appealed and insist they are innocent, although British media still expect a heavy punishment soon. Exactly what that punishment will be remains unclear. Because of the sheer scale of the breaches, there is virtually no comparable precedent.
Everton lost ten points in 2023 because, under Premier League rules, they had spent around twenty million euros more than permitted. The Liverpool club appealed and eventually had the sanction almost halved to a six-point deduction.
The BBC recently spoke to several leading figures and writes: "There is a feeling that if City do not win the appeal and as a result are handed a heavy sanction, it would not be acceptable for them to be allowed to compete with Europe’s top clubs and enjoy the associated financial benefits."
One source says City's licence is being discussed at UEFA, but little can be done because permits are based on current information. Sanctions for breaches from the past are not taken into account.
If a club meets the minimum admission criteria, UEFA cannot refuse a licence. Convictions for match-fixing in the past ten years or a conflict linked to the ownership of multiple clubs could give UEFA grounds to withdraw a licence, but neither applies to City.
UEFA can start a procedure to assess whether City still meet the minimum requirements on the basis of the forthcoming punishment in England. The scenarios will soon be discussed by the UEFA executive and the CFCB, UEFA's independent financial body that checks whether clubs comply with Financial Fair Play rules.
Even so, that investigation also appears unlikely to stop City taking part in a European competition. In 2020, UEFA imposed a two-year ban on City because of 'serious breaches' of the FFP rules between 2012 and 2016. However, CAS overturned the ban because, under UEFA rules, the breaches were time-barred.
"Licences are granted on the basis of current financial performance, so the grounds for refusing one are unclear," a source tells the BBC. If City's appeal is rejected, the club could potentially face a points deduction, transfer bans and even relegation.
Because the case against City has already dragged on for years, the punishment may only become known after the end of the current season. The hearing that will determine the level of City's punishment has yet to be scheduled. That means City could end up playing in both the Championship and the Champions League next season, if they qualify for the latter this season.
Even if City receive a (points) punishment this season and cannot qualify for European football through the league table, they could still secure a European place by winning the Carabao Cup (Conference League) or FA Cup (Europa League). The influential interviewees also see that as unfair.
