Manchester City are “innocent until proven guilty” over
claims they breached Financial Fair Play rules, says manager Pep Guardiola.
City, seeking to complete a domestic treble in Saturday’s FA
Cup final against Watford, face a Uefa inquiry.
It is understood some Uefa investigators want the club to be
banned from the Champions League for a season if they are found guilty.
“I said many times I trust the club,” said Guardiola.
“If Uefa decide we have done something wrong, we will be
punished.
“I know people want to find us guilty but we are innocent
until proven guilty. Today we are innocent.”
City have won the Premier League and Carabao Cup this season
and will become the first team to win the men’s domestic treble in England if
they beat Watford on Saturday.
The club has said “the accusation of financial
irregularities remains entirely false”.
Chief investigator Yves Leterme has made his recommendation
but it is not known if he supports a ban.
Former Belgian prime minister Leterme, chairman of the
investigatory panel of Uefa’s independent financial control board, and his team
looked at evidence first uncovered in a series of leaks published by German
newspaper Der Spiegel last year.
The reports alleged that City broke FFP regulations by
inflating the value of a multi-million-pound sponsorship deal. City were fined
£49m in 2014 for a previous breach of regulations.
It understood Leterme’s fellow board members firmly expressed
the view at a recent meeting that a season-long ban would be a suitable
punishment if City are found guilty.
Uefa said Leterme, “after having consulted with the other
members of the independent investigatory chamber”, decided “to refer Manchester
City FC to the CFCB adjudicatory chamber following the conclusion of his
investigation”.
It is unlikely any punishment for City will apply to next
season’s Champions League because they could appeal, and even take their case
to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
City could also face a transfer ban, with the Football
Association, Premier League and Fifa investigating the club over the signing of
youth players.
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