MANCHESTER City’s title celebrations were stopped in their tracks as it emerged the Premier League winners face a Champions League ban for alleged financial fair play breaches. City are believed to have been accused by Uefa investigators of providing “unconvincing” explanations over the club’s finances. 1 Manchester City could be slapped with a Uefa ban after "unconvincing" explanations in investigations into Financial Fair Play Uefa’s investigatory panel, led by Yves Leterme, are expected to lodge their report to Europe’s governing body in the next few days - and it is understood they will call for action and recommend a season’s ban for the Prem champions. That punishment could open the door for fifth-placed Arsenal to be handed a Champions League place even if they lose the Europa League Final to Chelsea. Pep Guardiola’s side have been on the back foot for months after the “Football Leaks” document dump uncovered a series of allegations. City were accused of “several alleged violations” of FFP regulations when Uefa announced its formal investigation in March. That followed initial inquiries which started last year following the Football Leaks claims. 'CONCRETE CASE' According to the cache of emails published by German magazine Der Spiegel, City allegedly hid at least £70m in funding from owners Abu Dhabi United Group - the financial arm of the Emirate’s ruling family - by claiming it was sponsorship income. However, the club condemned “the speculation resulting from the illegal hacking and out of context publication of City emails” and added: The accusation of financial irregularities are entirely false.” Sun Sport revealed in December how senior Uefa figures were demanding “sporting sanctions” against the Etihad club, pending the conclusion of what European football president Aleksander Ceferin described as a “concrete case”. In February, former Belgian Prime Minister, Leterme, the head of Uefa’s investigatory panel, suggested faced “exclusion from UEFA competition” if “what has been written is true”. Many, inside and outside City, doubted whether Uefa would actually seek to punish a club which has been bankrolled by the Abu Dhabi government. POINT TO PROVE That view was intensified when Europe’s governing body backed away from issuing charges against Paris St-Germain, owned by the Qatar royal family. But sources close to the investigation told the New York Times that City were “unconvincing” in their answers and explanations at a meeting with the investigators last month. That led the panel to agree that punitive action needed to be recommended, with Leterme expected to lodge his report with Uefa chiefs in the next few days. Within Uefa, it is felt that declining to punish City would throw the entire FFP system into disrepute and effectively see the entirely regulatory regime scrapped. But there are still doubts over whether Leterme will go as far as his colleagues have recommended he should, or seek to avoid a full-on conflict with the oil-rich state. Uefa confirmed last night that the report had yet to be received by bosses at headquarters in Nyon. It also seems unlikely - although possible - that a ban would be imposed for next season. Instead, it is expected that the adjudicatory chamber will take its time before either confirming or commuting the recommendations. Even then, City would be certain to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, question the validity and legality of any FFP rules and also the legitimacy and proportionality of any ban, in a case that would take months to be decided. The Uefa probe is one of four separate investigations City are currently facing. Fifa are expected to announce a transfer ban over the club’s recruitment of overseas youngsters and is also looking at City’s Africa-based Right to Dream academy, now run by Danish side Nordsjaelland. The Premier League announced in March it was investigating financial issues and academy recruitment while the FA is probing claims that City paid the family and agent of Jadon Sancho before the England winger joined the club from Watford as a schoolboy. City declined to comment.<doc-sep>The video will auto-play soon 8 Cancel Get the latest football news in your inbox every weekend for FREE by signing up to our email bulletin Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign me up! Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Manchester City could reportedly face a Champions League ban if they are found guilty of financial irregularities. The Premier League champions have been under investigation by a regulatory committee over a series of leaks into their financial conduct. Officials from UEFA's financial control board are set to submit their findings and will reportedly push for at least a one-year ban from Europe's premier competition. It remains to be seen quite how hard UEFA come down on City but a potential suspension would likely open the door for another Premier League club. As things stand, City will be joined in next season's Champions League by Liverpool , Tottenham and Chelsea . (Image: AFP/Getty Images) Arsenal and Manchester United missed out but the former could still qualify through the Europa League. Unai Emery's men ended the season in fifth spot but face Chelsea in Baku later this month, knowing victory will secure their place. Should they miss out, Arsenal would be the most likely to fill City's spot in next season's Champions League through their Premier League position. But victory for the Gunners in Baku could potentially see City's rivals United be drafted in. (Image: Getty) Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side ended the season in sixth, although it is unclear if UEFA would instead give City's spot to another domestic competition. Pep Guardiola's side can secure a historic treble when they take on Watford at Wembley in the FA Cup final this weekend. City have already won the Premier League and Carabao Cup and victory on Saturday will mean they have claimed five of the last six domestic trophies.<doc-sep>
Despite winning the 2018/19 English Premier League and being in contention for an unprecedented domestic treble, Manchester City find themselves under scrutiny. According to a New York Times report published on 13 May, UEFA’s financial control board is nearing the end of its investigation into City’s potential breach of financial fair play. European football’s governing body has been collecting information on this matter for several months, and it is believed a verdict could be reached this week. The information gathered includes a series of articles published by Der Spiegel in November 2018. Upon UEFA’s review, it is expected the investigatory committee of the Club Financial Control Body will recommend Manchester City be barred from UEFA Champions League contention for at least one season. Should the Sky Blues be found guilty, however, it is unclear when the ban would be implemented. City were previously found guilty of violating FFP in 2014, where they paid a financial fine. Moreover, they competed in the 2014/15 Champions League with a reduced squad. FIFA, the EPL and the English Football Association are conducting their own investigations into this matter. As expected, the Sky Blues have adamantly denied breaching regulations surrounding FFP. In their club statement, the Mancunians stated they are fully cooperating with the investigation and that the “accusation of financial irregularities are entirely false.” Moreover, City claim “individuals intent on damaging the club’s reputation” may be the cause of the recent publication in the New York Times. Should they be found guilty, the Sky Blues would appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The club stated they have “comprehensive proof” they did not violate FFP. UEFA would not provide any comments on the ongoing investigation.