This archive report was first published on 14 July 2020.
On April 17, 2019, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola reacts at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, Britain. (REUTERS)
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has called for an apology after the club successfully overturned their two-year European ban. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) lifted the ban imposed by UEFA over alleged breaches of Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules between 2012 and 2016.
Guardiola expressed his happiness with the decision, stating that it proves the club's innocence after years of accusations related to their financial strength. He believes that the club should be apologized to, as they have been vindicated by three independent judges.
However, not everyone is pleased with the decision. Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho described it as a 'disaster' and said that it shows Financial Fair Play is now dead. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp also criticized the ruling, calling it a bad day for football.
City were initially punished by UEFA in February over 'serious breaches' of FFP regulations, but they immediately contested the ban. CAS found that City had failed to cooperate with UEFA authorities, but said that the club did not disguise equity funding as sponsorship contributions.
UEFA recognized that many of the allegations fell outside the five-year time limit in its own regulations. As a result, the initial fine of 30 million euros imposed by UEFA was reduced to 10 million euros by CAS. However, the fine related only to City's failure to cooperate with UEFA's investigation rather than FFP breaches.
