Manchester City could be banned from the Champions League, for at least one season, due to their flagrant disregard of FFP rules.
According to the New York Times, ‘Members of the investigatory chamber of UEFA’s financial control board,’ met in Switzerland last week and concluded that a ban from Europe’s elite competition would be a sufficient punishment.
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Last year, Football Leaks uncovered consistent lies in a series of internal emails about how City was making its money.
FFP rules state that clubs have to essentially be self-sufficient; that they can only spend what they earn – but City were shown to be receiving huge cash injections from various UAE companies masked as legitimate sponsorship deals.
Despite being the most expensively assembled side on the planet, City have never reached the Champions League Final, although their fourth Premier League title suggests their monstrous spending has worked.
As Liverpool fans, we’re not expecting or demanding a level playing field – we know City have more money than anyone else – but think anyone caught financial doping should be met with the harshest of sanctions.
We’d like to think if FSG had cheated we’d feel the same, although that’s not something we need to worry about.
Banning City from Europe could work in two ways. It could make them effectively untouchable domestically, or it could lead to an exodus – with players and managers demanding a move to play in the Champions League.
Of course, we just want the investigation to be fully, openly and properly done by every necessary governing body – including the Premier League – as right now, City are declaring innocence.