'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
A piece of huge news has broken out on 14 February as the Premier League holders for the last two seasons, Manchester City, have been banned from all European club competitions for the next two seasons (2020-21 and 2021-22). The Cityzens have also been fined €30 million.
According to Club Financial Control Body (CFCB), City were found guilty of overstating their sponsorship revenue between 2012 and 2016. City were also found guilty of deliberately inflating the value of a sponsorship deal.
As a result, provided Manchester City finish in the Premier League top 4, the team which finish 5th in the league will get UEFA Champions League qualification instead. Even if City manage to win the Champions League this season, they will be unable to play in the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup next season.
This is, without a doubt, a huge blow for the club, as they could face a few problems in the following seasons. Here, we analyse and discuss the three things which could happen to Manchester City in the next two seasons.
#1 Departure of star players and Pep Guardiola
It is always understandable when a top club fails to attract world-class players while not playing in the Champions League. In the process, the star players already playing for the club sometimes wish to leave for a better club as well, unless they really love the club and are loyal. This is fair as well since every good player dreams of playing in the Champions League, and winning.
City's ban from European club competitions could make many star players like Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Sergio Aguero, etc., make moves to another clubs. Moreover, their current manager Pep Guardiola is now left with one more shot at winning the Champions League with City, which is looking highly unlikely as well because of the strong competition. The Spaniard is also rumoured to be considering his future and leaving City at the end of the season.
#2 Difficulty in signing new players
Besides struggling to keep their star players, Manchester City could also struggle to attract new players because of their absence in the Champions League. There are already some players and positions in the squad which need replacing and improving.
Replacing aging players like Fernandinho and improving their centre-back position, which the club failed to do this season despite Vincent Kompany's departure and Aymeric Laporte's long term injury, could cause a lot of burden to the Cityzens next season.
Furthermore, City would also need to work on their left-back position because of Angelino's departure in January, Benjamin Mendy's fitness issues and Oleksandr Zinchenko's inconsistent form.
Manchester City have recently been linked with the likes of Milan Skriniar and Ruben Dias. As they, and most of the players City have been linked with, are most likely to be playing in the Champions League for their current clubs next season, it could be very hard for City to make moves for them.
#3 More focus on Premier League and domestic competitions
Manchester City has been underperforming in the Premier League this season with the league leaders Liverpool being 22 points clear of the current holders. This was clearly unexpected from Pep Guardiola's side considering the signings they had made in the summer, and the fact that Liverpool did not make any major signing.
However, now that City will not be playing in European club competitions for the next two seasons, this might give them a slight advantage as they could solely focus on rebuilding a side which could dominate the Premier League, especially considering that their rivals could be facing a fixture congestion due to European competitions.
Similar to the way Chelsea could solely focus on the Premier League and the FA Cup (which they almost won as well) in the 2016-17 season, Manchester City could have a massive advantage as they could easily aim for the league and other domestic competitions such as the FA Cup and the League Cup as well.
Also read | Manchester City UEFA ban: What next for Guardiola and the Premier League champions?
