Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin has declared that the European governing body still “likes” Manchester City despite their ongoing financial fair play (FFP) dispute.
The Blues were handed a two-year ban from European football by Uefa’s club financial control body for "serious breaches" of FFP, and reacted furiously before lodging an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
But the Blues chief executive Ferran Soriano gave an interview to the club’s official website which proffered an olive branch to parts of Uefa.
Soriano made it plain that City did not blame “the whole of Uefa” and instead pointed fingers at the investigatory chamber of the club financial control body (CFCB) – which is appointed by Uefa but ostensibly operates independently.
That was seen as an olive branch to the more conciliatory parts of Uefa, especially as Uefa themselves, rather than the CFCB, will defend the ban decision at CAS.
Ceferin, in an interview with Sky Sports , stressed that the dispute with City was “separate” from Uefa’s relationship with City.
He was quizzed about the Blues’ relationship with Uefa, and replied: “I don’t know the leaders of the club very well. I met the president, I think, twice, and met the CEO maybe four or five times at different events.
“They are our asset, I respect them, they are our club. I don’t want to say that now we don’t like Manchester City. We like them, they are our club, but this process is a separate thing, and I don’t interfere.”
