UEFA Ban: 3 possibilities at Manchester City in the upcoming seasons
A piece of huge news has broken out on 14 February as the Premier League holders for the last two seasons, Manchester City, have been banned from all European club competitions for the next two seasons (2020-21 and 2021-22). The Cityzens have also been fined €30 million.
According to Club Financial Control Body (CFCB), City were found guilty of overstating their sponsorship revenue between 2012 and 2016. City were also found guilty of deliberately inflating the value of a sponsorship deal.
As a result, provided Manchester City finish in the Premier League top 4, the team which finish 5th in the league will get UEFA Champions League qualification instead. Even if City manage to win the Champions League this season, they will be unable to play in the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup next season.
This is, without a doubt, a huge blow for the club, as they could face a few problems in the following seasons. Here, we analyse and discuss the three things which could happen to Manchester City in the next two seasons.
#1 Departure of star players and Pep Guardiola
It is always understandable when a top club fails to attract world-class players while not playing in the Champions League. In the process, the star players already playing for the club sometimes wish to leave for a better club as well, unless they really love the club and are loyal. This is fair as well since every good player dreams of playing in the Champions League, and winning.
City's ban from European club competitions could make many star players like Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Sergio Aguero, etc., make moves to another clubs. Moreover, their current manager Pep Guardiola is now left with one more shot at winning the Champions League with City, which is looking highly unlikely as well because of the strong competition. The Spaniard is also rumoured to be considering his future and leaving City at the end of the season.