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UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin believes European football’s governing body was ‘right’ to ban Manchester City from European competition for breaching Financial Fairplay (FFP) rules.
City were handed a two-year ban from European competition and fined £25 million in February 2020 after being found guilty of breaching FFP rules and misleading UEFA.
The ban was overturned seven months later by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but City now face possible action from the Premier League.
Last season’s Treble winner was charged by the League in February last year with a whopping 115 alleged breaches of financial regulations, following a five-year investigation that began in 2018.
Although Ceferin did not want to be involved in the Premier League investigation, he remained adamant that UEFA’s financial control body made the right choice four years ago.
Aleksander Ceferin believes UEFA was right to ban Manchester City from European competitions in 2020
The two-year ban was overturned by CAS and City won the Treble last season
Ceferin (right) is convinced that UEFA lawyers made the right choice, but respects CAS’s ruling
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“We know we were right,” he said The Telegraph.
“We wouldn’t decide if we didn’t think we were right.”
City, who have steadfastly denied any wrongdoing, had their ban overturned by CAS on the grounds that some allegations were unproven and that some of the evidence against them had expired.
While Ceferin respects CAS’s decision, he continues to maintain that UEFA’s assessment was correct.
“I don’t want to talk about the case in England,” he added.
‘But I trust that the decision of our independent body was correct. I didn’t make this decision.’
The Premier League has previously accused City of using delaying tactics to delay their investigation, but Richard Masters confirmed last week that a date had been set for the trial.
However, the Premier League CEO declined to say when it will take place.
City are facing 115 charges over alleged financial breaches by the Premier League
Pep Guardiola’s side deny any wrongdoing and have previously insisted they have ‘irrefutable evidence’ to support their case
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said last week that a date had been set for the trial
Mail Sport revealed in November that the Premier League and City had agreed to begin the most significant disciplinary case in the competition’s history in the autumn of 2024.
Pressure on the Premier League to move forward with City’s investigation has been exacerbated by the recent charges against Everton and Nottingham Forest.
The Toffees were handed a 10-point penalty in November last year for breaching the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).
They could now face another points deduction along with Forest after being charged for a similar offense earlier this month.
Ceferin said he understood the frustration of Everton and Forest fans in light of City’s ongoing case.
“They want to know what is going on and what the consequences are, but I don’t want to go into this concrete process because I don’t know what the Premier League is dealing with,” he explained.
‘I don’t really want to criticize or anything like that. It wouldn’t be fair.’
Appearing before MPs at a Culture, Media and Sport committee hearing last week, Masters was asked whether he understood fans’ frustration at the investigation into City.
“Yes, but they are very different charges,” he replied.
‘The volume and nature of the charges against Manchester City are being held in a very different environment.’