A Uefa investigation is set to recommend Manchester City be banned from the Champions League over the club’s financial conduct.
Uefa’s investigatory chamber has been looking into City’s accounts following leaks which were revealed in the press last year, amid accusations that the club, which is owned by Sheik Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan, flouted the governing body’s Financial Fair Play rules (FFP). City have strongly denied any wrongdoing.
The investigation, led by the former Belgian prime minister Yves Leterme, is expected to conclude later this week or next week, and is set to advise a ban from the Champions League of at least one season, according to The New York Times.
Any attempt to ban City is likely to lead to a momentous and potentially landmark legal battle regarding Uefa’s FFP, the credibility of which has been regularly called into question.
Earlier this year Paris Saint-Germain faced minimal punishment from Uefa despite scrutiny over their commercial agreements and vast outlays for Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.
