Uefa’s ‘parking ticket’ fines will not rein in football’s maverick clubs | Marina Hyde

Unless it enforces a monster fine or ban on clubs who overstep the mark, Uefa is an employee of those it is supposed to police

Reports that Uefa investigators are to recommend Manchester City be banned from the Champions League for a year are certainly eye-catching. According to the New York Times, the European governing body’s sleuths have spent almost a year investigating leaks that allege rule-breaking, and will now push for a competition ban, though that would be subject to forceful legal challenge by City. The accusations centre on the club’s alleged attempts to circumvent financial fair play regulations via disguised cash injections from their Abu Dhabi owners, as well as suggestions that City misled authorities in statements provided to resolve an earlier case.

The great puzzle is why misfortune and accusation continue to dog Manchester City in this fashion. It was only in 2014 that the club were fined by Uefa over a previous rule breach, which saw them accept some restrictions on transfers and a £49m fine. In fact, City never paid the full fine, forfeiting only £17m of prize money three years later. Alas, this doesn’t seem to have been the end of it, if documents released over the past year via the Football Leaks website are to be believed. City doesn’t say they aren’t to be believed, only that they are not to be paid any attention to. Time and again they have been forced to characterise this or that leaked email as “hacked”, “stolen”, “out of context”, or “an organised and clear attempt” to besmirch the club’s reputation. Though not, as it goes, “false”.

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