MANCHESTER: Manchester City's two-year ban from European football has been upset by the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS), the Lausanne based court said on Monday.
The decision means Pep Guardiola's group will contend in next season's Champions League.
CAS decided that City didn't penetrate Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules by disguising value subsidizing as sponsorship. The court also diminished a fine for neglecting to collaborate with UEFA to 10 million euros ($11.30 million) from 30 million euros.
"Most of the supposed breaches announced by the (UEFA) Adjudicatory Chamber of the CFCB were either not established or time-banished," CAS said in a statement.
UEFA, European soccer's administering body, had decided in February that City had submitted serious FFP breaches and neglected to help out its investigation.
Missing out on the Champions League would have cost City, who have denied bad behavior, as much as 100 million pounds in prize cash and broadcast income, as well as matchday and different revenues.
The FFP regulations are designed to stop clubs running up huge losses through spending on players. They also ensure sponsorship deals are based on their genuine market esteem and are certified business agreements — and not ways for owners to siphon cash into a club to get around the rules.
