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Soccer Football – Champions League – Group G – Crvena Zvezda v Manchester City – Rajko Mitic Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia – December 13, 2023 Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola before the match REUTERS/Marko Djurica
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via Reuters
Soccer Football – Champions League – Group G – Crvena Zvezda v Manchester City – Rajko Mitic Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia – December 13, 2023 Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola before the match REUTERS/Marko Djurica
Manchester City has found themselves in the eye of the storm. The English media have been all over the club’s alleged 115 Financial Fairplay breaches. Amidst the debate, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin also fired shots at the Cityzens, referencing UEFA’s decision to ban the club from European competition. However, his words have not sat down well with Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, who fired back at Ceferin during his press conference before the team’s clash against Tottenham.
UEFA imposed a massive two-year ban on Manchester City, barring them from playing in European competition in 2020. However, the club quickly retaliated as the Cityzens challenged the governing body’s decision in court. The Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) overturned UEFA’s decision, ruling in City’s favor. All hell has broken loose since then!
Pep Guardiola slams Aleksander Ceferin for his comments!
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In an interview, Aleksander Ceferin fired shots at Manchester City, proclaiming UEFA was right in banning the club from European competition. However, the organization cannot control the court’s verdict. Ceferin then doubled down on the governing body’s actions claiming they would not have banned the club from competition if they did not believe in their decision.
Guardiola on Ceferin re: charges: "As a lawyer he should wait, and after he can do whatever he wants. Whatever sentence there is about Uefa he has to respect it. He has a lot to do at Uefa. He knows we have the right to defend ourselves, it's the only thing I can say."
— Sam Lee (@SamLee) January 25, 2024
The Spaniard fired shots at Ceferin’s comments, stating, “As a lawyer, he should wait, and after he can do whatever he wants. Whatever sentence there is about UEFA, he has to respect it. He has a lot to do at UEFA. He knows we have the right to defend ourselves. It’s the only thing I can say.”
UEFA imposed a massive two-year ban on Manchester City in 2020. The club was also slammed with a $32.5 million fine for breaching the financial fair play rules between 2012-2016. However, CAS stood by the Cityzens, overturning the ban while reducing the fine to just $10.8 million.
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Premier League charges Manchester City with alleged 115 FFP breaches
The Premier League governing body has come down hard on FFP breaches this year. The league has already charged Everton for violating the laws, docking 10 points from the team for a single breach. Defending champions Manchester City are next on the governing body’s radar, with the side charged with 115 FFP violations.
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Notably, an independent body is investigating the case with the club accused of providing wrong financial info on multiple occasions from 2009 to 2018. The club could face massive ramifications if they are found guilty in even 10% of the cases. Richard Masters, the CEO of the Premier League, discussed the investigation and stated that a decision regarding the case will be reached later this year. Will it be a punishment that puts the club down in the Championship?
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