The Union of European Soccer Associations (UEFA) declared on Friday it has banned Manchester Metropolis from European competitions for 2 seasons for “severe breaches” of economic laws.

The membership, final yr’s champion of the English Premier League, was additionally fined 30 million euros ($33 million) by UEFA. The group declared that the membership “dedicated severe breaches” of UEFA’s licensing guidelines and Monetary Honest Play Rules, together with “overstating its sponsorship income in its accounts” for 5 years.

Manchester Metropolis, often known as “Man Metropolis,” has the suitable to enchantment the ban.

“Manchester Metropolis is upset however not stunned by in the present day’s announcement by the UEFA Adjudicatory Chamber,” the membership mentioned in a press release.

The membership additionally sharply criticized UEFA’s investigative course of in its assertion, saying the method was “flawed and persistently leaked,” so “there was little doubt within the outcome.”

UEFA’s ruling would forestall Man Metropolis from enjoying in any European tournaments till the 2022-2023 season. The membership is at present competing in UEFA’s Champions League, which is the very best profile match in skilled soccer, and second general to solely the World Cup.

Man Metropolis is estimated to be the fifth most respected soccer (soccer) crew on this planet at $2.7 billion, in response to Forbes in 2019. The membership is owned by Metropolis Soccer Group, a holding firm of Abu Dhabi United Group, which is a personal fairness agency owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the deputy prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and member of the Abu Dhabi royal household.

Sheikh Mansour, value an estimated $22 billion, is the half brother of UAE President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Mansour purchased Man Metropolis in 2008 for a reported £210 million — or roughly $273 million based mostly on present alternate charges. In complete, Mansour has invested greater than $1.7 billion into the membership, in response to the Guardian.

Man Metropolis has been persistently one of many high spenders among the many rich English golf equipment, shelling out lots of of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} to construct a world roster of celebrity gamers. Metropolis’s supervisor Pep Guardiola can also be the very best paid supervisor on this planet, in response to beIN Sports activities, with a contract for $25 million a yr.

Metropolis Soccer Group in November bought a ten% stake to U.S. non-public fairness agency Silver Lake, which BBC reported gave Mansour’s holding firm a $4.8 billion valuation.