Manchester City have responded to the punishment handed down to them by Uefa for breaching financial fair play rules.
The Premier League champions have been under investigation for the last few months.
The European footballing body announced on Friday that City would be banned from participating in the Champions League for the next two seasons while they will also have to pay a 30 million pound fine.
The club have since responded in a statement where they called the decision disspointing but not unexpected.
The statement in full, ‘Manchester City is disappointed but not surprised by today’s announcement by the UEFA Adjudicatory Chamber. The Club has always anticipated the ultimate need to seek out an independent body and process to impartially consider the comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence in support of its position.
‘In December 2018, the UEFA Chief Investigator publicly previewed the outcome and sanction he intended to be delivered to Manchester City, before any investigation had even begun. The subsequent flawed and consistently leaked UEFA process he oversaw has meant that there was little doubt in the result that he would deliver. The Club has formally complained to the UEFA Disciplinary body, a complaint which was validated by a CAS ruling.
‘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 and will therefore, in the first instance, commence proceedings with the Court of Arbitration for Sport at the earliest opportunity. ‘
