What a shame: Rio Ferdinand is thrilled with Man City's Champions League ban

What a shame: Rio Ferdinand is thrilled with Man City's Champions League ban

The BT Sport pundit's comment comes after UEFA announced City's ban with 30m euro fine for breaching club licensing and financial fair play regulations.

FPJ Web DeskUpdated: Saturday, February 15, 2020, 02:51 PM IST
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Rio Ferdinand | @rioferdy5 - Twitter

Former England and Manchester United footballer Rio Ferdinand had his say on Manchester City's ban from the Champions League for two seasons.

The BT Sport pundit's comment comes after UEFA announced City's ban with 30m euro fine for breaching club licensing and financial fair play regulations.

''What a shame," Ferdinand tweeted.

However, following the ban City announced that they were appealing the suspension to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) "at the earliest opportunity".

"Manchester City is disappointed but not surprised by today's announcement by the UEFA Adjudicatory Chamber," the club said.

"The flawed and consistently leaked UEFA process he (the UEFA chief investigator) oversaw has meant that there was little doubt in the result that he would deliver.

"Simply put, this is a case initiated by UEFA, prosecuted by UEFA and judged by UEFA.

"With this prejudicial process now over, the club will pursue an impartial judgment as quickly as possible at CAS."

Guardiola's City outfit currently sit second in the Premier League table and if the ban upholds, it would mean that the fourth Champions League slot available for English teams would likely go to the fifth-placed club this term.

Sheffield United, promoted to the top flight last year, sit in fifth.

It is not the first time that Man City have fallen foul of FFP regulations, having been fined 60 million euros and seeing their Champions League squad reduced in May 2014.

The ban will raise questions about the future of City coach Guardiola and their key players.

Guardiola said last month that he could be sacked if he failed to beat Real Madrid in the Champions League last 16.

"If we don't beat them, OK, come the chairman or the sport director and say, 'It's not good enough, we want the Champions League, I'm going to sack you'," he told Sky Sports.

Guardiola's City face Real Madrid in this season's Champions League last 16.

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