Published 18:57 IST, August 7th 2020
Ex-Bayern chief Uli Hoeness taunts Man City in fresh rant against FFP and CAS verdict
Former Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness has taken a dig at Premier League giants Man City and CAS after the former escaped a ban despite FFP irregularity.
Former Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness has hit out at FFP rules and UEFA after Premier League giants Manchester City's European ban was overturned. Pep Guardiola's side were initially banned from the Champions League for two seasons and were slapped with a heavy fine for allegedly inflating sponsorship revenue in their accounts submitted to UEFA from 2012 to 2016. However, following a CAS appeal, Man City were exonerated from the charges and also saw the fine reduced, which has raised a fair amount of debate around the role of FFP.
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Man City CAS verdict: Ex-Bayern chief Uli Hoeness slams UEFA, reignites war of words with Man City
Speaking to DAZN and Goal, former Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness slammed CAS and Manchester City after their UEFA-imposed ban was overturned. Hoeness said that when he read the Man City CAS verdict he wondered what the entire fiasco was all about. The former Bayern chief stated that UEFA's reasoning was simply weak and in principle, CAS saw it the same way, but did not provide any solid evidence of Man City's behaviour. Uli Hoeness further stated that if the judges at CAS have come to the conclusion that UEFA did a poor job, one need not wonder what the result is. The former Bayern chief added that Man City CAS verdict is a clear slap in the face for UEFA.
Bayern, who are regarded as a traditional European powerhouse, are often viewed as one of the prime supporters of Financial Fair Play and were unhappy with the verdict, with club director Oliver Kahn also taking shots at Man City. Kahn echoed Uli Hoeness' comments and said that CAS needs to do a better job and things related to FFP rules need to be taken seriously. The former Bayern Munich captain said there is no place for FFP if those things are not taken seriously by Man City or Paris Saint-Germain, both of who were recently accused of breaching the regulations.
German newspaper Der Spiegel claimed they have fresh evidence that proves the Court of Arbitration's verdict was wrong, but Man City have vigorously denied the new claims, saying they are a 'cynical attempt to publicly re-litigate. Current Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola worked under Uli Hoeness at Bayern before shifting his sails to the Premier League. The two teams could meet in the semi-final if they win their respective clashes. Bayern hold a 3-0 advantage over Chelsea in their Round of 16 clash while Man City lead Real Madrid 2-1 after an enthralling game at the Santiago Bernabeu.
(Image Courtesy: Bundesliga.com, Man City Twitter)
Updated 18:57 IST, August 7th 2020