Manchester City has its European soccer ban overturned, meaning it will now play in next season's Champions League
- Manchester City has had its European soccer ban overturned and will now be able to play in next season's Champions League.
- City was fined $34 million and handed a two-year ban from European soccer back in February after being found guilty of making "serious breaches" of financial fair play regulations.
- Following a three day appeal in June, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has now lifted the ban, but City will still have to pay a reduced fine.
Manchester City has had its European soccer ban overturned and will now be able to play in next season's Champions League.
City was fined $34 million and handed a two-year ban from European soccer back in February after the Adjudicatory Chamber of UEFA's Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) said the English Premier League club had made "serious breaches" of financial fair play (FFP) regulations.
FFP regulations govern how much money football clubs can spend, with the aim of stopping teams buying success by spending more than they make.
City challenged the decision, resulting in a three-day appeal through the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in June.
On July 13, it was announced the club's ban had been lifted, however it will still have to pay a reduced fine due to its failure to "cooperate with the UEFA authorities."
A statement from UEFA said: "UEFA notes that the CAS panel found that there was insufficient conclusive evidence to uphold all of the CFCB's conclusions in this specific case and that many of the alleged breaches were time-barred due to the 5 year time period foreseen in the UEFA regulations."
UEFA also said it will be making "no further comments on the matter."
Manchester City said in a statement: "Whilst Manchester City and its legal advisers are yet to review the full ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the Club welcomes the implications of today's ruling as a validation of the Club's position and the body of evidence that it was able to present.
"The Club wishes to thank the panel members for their diligence and the due process that they administered."
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