LAUSANNE, July 3 — Manchester City will discover whether their appeal against a two-year ban from European competition has been successful the week of July 13, the Court of Arbitration for Sport said Thursday.

"The final decision will be made during the week of July 13,” CAS secretary general Matthieu Reeb told AFP.

City were banned by Uefa and handed a €30 million (RM144.5 million) fine for allegedly overstating sponsorship revenue to hide that they had not complied with financial fair play (FFP) rules between 2012 and 2016.

The Premier League club has steadfastly denied Uefa’s allegations.

Last month CAS held a three-day hearing via videoconference due to coronavirus restrictions.

Regardless of the outcome of the appeal, City will be able to complete their campaign in the 2019-20 Champions League.

Pep Guardiola’s men won 2-1 at Real Madrid in the first leg of their last-16 tie before the competition was halted by Covid-19.

uefa is planning to stage a "final eight” straight knockout format for the quarter-finals onwards in August, with all games set to take place in Lisbon. 

City have an 11-point lead over fifth-placed Manchester United and seem certain to secure qualification for next season’s Champions League on the field.

However, if they are excluded, whoever finishes fifth will take their place in the Champions League. — AFP