No verdict has yet been announced, but the Premier League champions have appealed against the actions of the Financial Control Body.
Manchester City have filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over the actions of UEFA during their Financial Fair Play (FFP) investigation, the court has confirmed.
UEFA confirmed investigation into City for potential breaches of FFP back in March, with the Premier League confirming their own case looking into the matter a day later.
Then in May, the New York Times claimed the investigatory chamber (IC) of UEFA’s Club Financial Control Body recommended a one-season ban for the English champions from the Champions League.
The club hit back against the report, voicing their concern that their “good faith” in the investigation may have been “misplaced.”
City said at the time: “The implications are that either Manchester City’s good faith in the CFCB IC is misplaced or the CFCB IC process is being misrepresented by individuals intent on damaging the club’s reputation and its commercial interests. Or both.”
Now the club have appeared to take action over that accusation, appealing not the verdict, which has not been announced, but the UEFA Investigatory Chamber’s actions in the case.
A statement from CAS read: “The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has registered an appeal filed by Manchester City Football Club (MCFC) against the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).
“The appeal is filed against decisions taken by the Investigatory Chamber (IC) of the UEFA Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) regarding MCFC’s alleged non-compliance with UEFA’s Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations.
“An arbitration procedure will now be initiated and will involve an exchange of written submissions between the parties while a panel of CAS arbitrators is convened to hear the appeal. Once the Panel has been formally constituted, it will issue a procedural calendar. It is not possible to say at this time when the Arbitral Award for this matter will be issued.
“CAS will not provide any further information in relation to this procedure, except to issue a Media Release announcing the Panel’s decision.”
City chariman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has voiced his belief the club will be cleared of wrong doing, if “facts” were the basis for the verdict.
“I believe, quite comfortably, if the process is going to be judged on facts then unquestionably we will prevail,” Al Mubarak said in May. “If it’s not about facts and it’s about other things, then it is a different conversation.”
