Sports

UEFA ban: Guardiola, Sterling plan to stay at Manchester City

Published

February 17, 2020

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and Raheem Sterling are planning to stay at the club despite UEFA banning them from European competitions for the next two seasons, Sky Sports reports.

UEFA announced the ban of the Premier League champions on Friday for “serious breaches” of their Financial Fair Play and club licensing regulations.

They have been forced to sit out all UEFA tournaments until the 2022/23 season and were also handed a £24.9m fine.

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The ban has led to speculation Guardiola, whose only season outside the Champions League as a manager came when he was in charge of Barcelona’s B side during the 2007/08 campaign, could choose to walk away from City.

However, he is understood to have told his players that he is committed to the club and will not leave.

Guardiola’s deal expires at the end of the 2020/21 season and he has no intention of cutting it short. The 49-year-old has never broken a contract as a manager.

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As well as Guardiola, Sterling is also understood to be totally committed to City and will not push for a move, despite the absence of European football.

The 25-year-old and his team-mates are believed to be focusing on finishing the season strongly – particularly in the Champions League, given it could be their last season in the competition for two years.

Sterling and the rest of City’s players are leaving the handling of the UEFA ban to the club’s hierarchy.

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UEFA said City

“overstated its sponsorship revenue in its accounts and in the break-even information submitted to UEFA between 2012 and 2016”.

European football’s governing body also say City were guilty of “failing to cooperate in the investigation by the Club Financial Control Body (CFCB)”.