Manchester City have reportedly been dealt a potential Financial Fair Play blow as it’s emerged that UEFA received ‘legal advice’ to appeal their 2020 case.
At the start of 2023, Man City were charged with breaching over 100 of the Premier League’s FFP rules. They were referred to an independent commission following a four-year probe into their conduct between 2009 and 2018.
Pep Guardiola‘s side have insisted on their innocence, but if they are found guilty they could be given a huge fine, points deduction, transfer ban, expulsion from the Premier League or have their titles stripped.
This case has already dragged on too long, but Man City’s FFP hearing concluded at the end of last week as lawyers made their closing arguments.
A subsequent report by The Daily Mail revealed that City could ‘learn their fate as soon as possible’.
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The report revealed:
‘The original 115 alleged breaches now total 130 because when the Premier League announced the charges in February 2023 there was confusion over some of the rules listed in relation to particular seasons and it had to issue a correction.
‘One senior legal source told The Times that the three-man panel would be acutely aware of the attention focused on the outcome of the case and would be working flat out to get their judgment out as soon as possible. That could be the end of January, according to the source, but the number of alleged rule breaches and the complexity of the case could mean that it is delayed.’
‘City, who deny any wrongdoing, could be hit with a heavy points deduction or even relegation if the more serious charges are proved. In that case, the club are almost certain to lodge an appeal, which the legal source said could take six to eight months to be completed.’
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It remains to be seen whether Man City or the Premier League will win this case, but a report from The Independent claims ‘UEFA ignored advice to appeal the Man City verdict after their Champions League ban was lifted’.
‘The Independent has learned that external lawyers proposed an appeal to the Swiss courts as Uefa’s best response to City’s victory at CAS in July 2020, which got their Champions League ban lifted.
‘The revelation Uefa were advised there were grounds to appeal may give encouragement to the Premier League, who are prosecuting City for 130 alleged FFP breaches based on similar evidence in a hearing that concluded last week.
‘The legal opinion advising that an appeal was possible was sent to Uefa in August 2020 outlining their possible options following the CAS judgement.
‘Of the five options the legal advice described an appeal to the Swiss courts as “the likely legal remedy,” and added that they believed there were sufficient grounds for this taking this course of action.
‘Uefa are understood to have received separate legal advice from a Swiss firm stating they had little chance of success, which led to their decision not to appeal.’