Manchester City are reportedly facing the very real prospect of a ban from the Champions League after latest developments. According to the Daily Mirror, City’s case of potential Financial Fair Play breaches that was being investigated has been referred to the adjudicatory chamber. They will now decide City’s fate with a final decision on whether or not to expel the Premier League champions from Europe’s top club competition. The club have released a statement expressing their disappointment at this decision and it could certainly be very bad news indeed for all involved at the Etihad Stadium. As explained in another previous report from the Daily Mirror, MCFC being kicked out of the competition would open up the place for another Premier League side. That could mean fifth placed Arsenal, though if they win the Europa League final and qualify for next season’s Champions League through that route, it could even mean sixth placed Manchester United are handed a spot. City have dominated the domestic scene in recent times but will be desperate to finally make progress in Europe, though that now looks in real doubt.<doc-sep>The video will auto-play soon 8 Cancel Get City news sent directly to your inbox! Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign 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>With Manchester City facing a ban from European competition for allegedly misleading UEFA and breaking FFP rules, we have provided a bitesize explanation of the accusations, what they mean, how City have responded and more. A UEFA panel investigating financial allegations concerning City are expected to recommend the club receive a one-year ban from the Champions League, according to Sky sources. Here, we get into the who, what, where, when and why of the story... What are Man City being accused of? At its core, Man City are accused of misleading UEFA. But the nuts and bolts are more complex. UEFA have been investigating files, including hacked e-mails - first reported by German publication Der Spiegel last year via Football Leaks - which appear to show City inflating sponsorship income. These files reportedly include documents and e-mails which show efforts made by City officials to skirt Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulation, by disguising cash infusions from a UAE state-backed investment company as inflated sponsorship agreements, including from Etihad, the club's main sponsor. For example, a file discovered by Der Spiegel last year suggests that Etihad accounted for just £8m of a £59.5m sponsorship agreement, and the rest was made up from ADUG (Abu Dhabi United Group), the investment group Sheikh Mansour used to buy Manchester City over a decade ago. What's wrong with that? UEFA's FFP rules are designed to ensure the amount clubs spend on players and wages is close to what they earn in commercial revenue and prize money. Simply, they want to ensure clubs do not spend beyond their means, and that financial competition among clubs is kept strong, rather than the richest owners injecting money to blow all rivals out of the water. So if City's owners were found to be injecting lump sums of cash into the club, this would be a breach of FFP. Image: Manchester City clinched their fourth Premier League title on Sunday So what's new? All of the above was common knowledge, but the New York Times has now reported that a decision may be imminent, and a Champions League ban could be recommended. According to the New York Times, the group UEFA set up to investigate the accusations met two weeks ago in Nyon to finalise conclusions. On Thursday, UEFA announced they had referred Manchester City FC to the CFCB adjudicatory chamber following the conclusion of his investigation. The investigatory panel is led by former Belgian prime minister Yves Leterme, and he has final say on the submission. Interestingly, the New York Times suggest the crux of the accusation is that "City gave misleading statements to resolve an earlier case, as well as false statements to licensing authorities in England," rather than the more recent irregularities surrounding valuation of sponsorship agreements. Does a Champions League ban look most likely? It's hard to say, as the panel can only recommend that City are banned from the Champions League. The final decision will be made by the Adjudicatory Chamber of the UEFA Club Financial Control Body. For how long and when would the ban be implemented? At least one season. It could be set for next season (19/20), but with Champions League qualifiers starting in June, it is more likely any ban would start for the 20/21 campaign. It would be devastating news for a club so desperate for European success. Image: City have never won the Champions League What would happen to the fourth CL spot? If a ban was brought in for next season, fifth-place Arsenal would get the fourth Champions League spot. Or if they were to win the Europa League, Manchester United would technically claim a Champions League spot. If the ban was implemented for the 20/21 campaign, and City finished in the top four next season, the fifth-place side would get a Champions League spot. What have City said? City's stance has been clear in recent months; the accusations are an "organised and clear" attempt to damage their reputation. A City statement on Tuesday expressed concerns about the New York Times' report, insisting they are co-operating with the investigation. A snippet of that statement reads: "The implications are that either Manchester City's good faith in the CFCB IC [UEFA's Club Financial Control Body Investigatory Chamber - the investigating team] is misplaced or the CFCB IC process is being misrepresented by individuals intent on damaging the club's reputation and its commercial interests. Or both." And on Thursday, City said they were "disappointed, but regrettably not surprised" at UEFA's referral. UEFA commented: "We do not comment on ongoing investigations regarding financial fair play matters." Would City appeal? Almost certainly, and emphatically, one would assume. If City are punished, expect this to spark a huge legal battle and an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Sky Sports understands City have retained services of some of the world's top sports lawyers. Has this happened before? City were among eight teams to be given a £49m fine in 2014 for failing FFP rules. But the majority of City's fine was suspended, and eventually not billed after City then met the operational and financial measures UEFA insisted upon. Image: Qatari-owned PSG recently evaded punishment recently when facing similar questions over sponsorship agreements Qatari-owned PSG, one of the eight in 2014, also evaded punishment recently when facing similar questions over sponsorship agreements. When their hearing ended up at the CAS in March, UEFA lawyers did not attend, and instead only written statements were sent. But a Champions League ban would be unprecedented. FFP is controversial, and pressure is on UEFA to apply FFP rules more vigorously on the biggest clubs. But the governing body insists FFP is working. What else are City battling? Three other bodies are currently investigating the club:<doc-sep>
BRIGHTON, ENGLAND - MAY 12: Josep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City looks on prior to the Premier League match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Manchester City at American Express Community Stadium on May 12, 2019 in Brighton, United Kingdom. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images) Manchester City are on high alert after rumours of a potential Champions League ban arise, as UEFA investigate potential FFP breaches. Manchester City, the now back-to-back Premier League champions, could be facing a minumum 1 year ban from the UEFA Champions League – if UEFA get their way. Europe’s governing football body has leaked information regarding an investigation into Manchester City’s financial matters, with a potential breach in financial fair play being the major reason. UEFA are looking to slap a 1 year ban on Manchester City, and will be advocating for that punishment in the coming month or so. If the ban is put forth however, it likely won’t be for next season, as the appeal process and other legal proceedings wouldn’t be completed on time to instill the ban for 2019-20. The club is well aware of the allegations and is reportedly “extremely concerned” over the leaks that have come out in recent days. The Champions League is a major revenue stream for City and many other clubs, and losing that for an entire season could be costly for their future ventures. Not to mention the fact that Manchester City have major aspirations to win the Champions League itself, after continuous failures in recent years. City released a statement on Tuesday regarding the investigation, claiming that they are worried by it, but are certain that they are innocent: Manchester City FC is fully cooperating in good faith with the CFCB IC’s ongoing investigation. In doing so the Club is reliant on both the CFCB IC’s independence and commitment to due process; and on UEFA’s commitment of the 7th of March that it “….will make no further comment on the matter while the investigation is ongoing”. Manchester City did become Premier League champions just 3 days ago, and will have to celebrate with a slight feeling of fear in the back of their minds over this investigation. Despite this, Pep Guardiola and his men will have their eyes firmly set on the transfer market this summer as they look to bolster their squad – with or without a ban.