Soriano: "The most important thing I have to say today is that the allegations are not true. They are simply not true"
Wednesday 19 February 2020 23:50, UK
In Manchester City's first extended response to their European ban, chief executive Ferran Soriano insists the allegations are "false".
The club has been hit with a two-year suspension from European competition by UEFA after being found guilty of Financial Fair Play rule breaches - a ruling the club intends to appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
In an interview with the club's in-house media, Soriano was firm in City's stance, saying they will do everything they can to prove that the allegations are false.
"Well, the most important thing I have to say today is that the allegations are not true. They are simply not true.
"The fans can be sure of two things. The first one is that the allegations are false. And the second is that we will do everything that can be done to prove so.
"We know the fans are supporting us. We can feel it. MCFC fans have gone through challenges over the decades. This is just another challenge. We will stick together, we will go through it and we will not let the fans down.
We are looking for an early resolution obviously through a thorough process and a fair process so my best hope is that this will be finished before the beginning of the summer and until then for us, it is business as usual.
"The owner has not put money in this club that has not been properly declared. We are a sustainable football club, we are profitable, we don't have debt, our accounts have been scrutinised many times, by auditors, by regulators, by investors and this is perfectly clear.
"We are looking for an early resolution obviously through a thorough process and a fair process so my best hope is that this will be finished before the beginning of the summer and until then for us, it is business as usual."
Pep Guardiola has told Manchester City players he is committed to the club, saying: "Even if they put us in League Two, I will still be here."
Soriano insists both the manager and players are fully focused on the football side of the club, and remain calm.
"Obviously, [Pep] has been kept informed about this process but this is not something for him to respond to. He is focused on the football, he is focusing on the game, the game at hand, the game today, tomorrow and the next weeks.
"As well as the players. They are calm, they are focused and this matter is more a business matter, a legal matter than a football matter."
In a statement on Friday, UEFA said City "overstated its sponsorship revenue in its accounts and in the break-even information submitted to UEFA between 2012 and 2016".
The club was also found guilty of "failing to cooperate in the investigation by the CFCB".
When asked what the club had not co-operated with, Soriano insisted City had provided the necessary information.
"We did co-operate with this process. We delivered a long list of documents and support that we believe is irrefutable evidence that the claims are not true.
"It was hard because we did this in the context of information being leaked to the media, and feeling that every step and engagement of the way, that we were considered guilty before anything was even discussed.
"But in the end, this is an internal process that has been initiated and then prosecuted and then judged by this FFP chamber at UEFA.
"We provided the evidence but this FFP Investigatory Chamber relied more on out-of-context stolen emails than all the other evidence we provided of what actually happened and I think it is normal that we feel like we feel.
"Ultimately, based on our experience and our perception, this seems to be less about justice and more about politics."
UEFA's Club Financial Control Body is made up of European lawyers, judges and politicians. Although the members of its investigatory and adjudicatory chamber are appointed by the UEFA executive committee, it is considered to be independent of UEFA.
UEFA have decided not to respond to Soriano's statement.
Sky Sports News' Kaveh Solhekol...
"The message coming from Soriano is loud and clear: they're not guilty and they're going to fight this to clear their name.
"City are going to appeal to CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport), but how long will this hearing take? CAS are very mindful of the sporting calendar, and do have expedited proceedings to try and do things quickly, and obviously it's in UEFA's interest to have this sorted by the summer.
"Soriano is saying he wants it sorted before the summer, and I think that is possible. But if the decision at CAS goes against them, City could then appeal to the Swiss Federal Appeals Tribunal, and then the European Courts of Human rights, so this could run and run. But if they accept CAS' decision, whatever it is, then it will be sorted by the summer."
Sky Sports News have spoken to UEFA, who say this is a serious accusation and have decided not to respond to it at this stage.
UEFA's Club Financial Control Body is made up of European lawyers, judges and politicians.
Although the members of its investigatory and adjudicatory chamber are appointed by the UEFA executive committee, it is considered to be independent of UEFA.
There is the Club Financial Control Body and it has an investigatory chamber and an adjudicatory chamber, with the chairman of the investigatory chamber the former Prime Minister of Belgium Yves Leterme.
The chairman of the adjudicatory chamber is Jose Narciso da Cunha Rodrigues - he was a judge at the European Court of Justice.
City will submit their appeal to CAS against their two year European ban before next Monday's deadline.
According to article 62 of UEFA's statutes they have ten days from the receipt of the decision to appeal.
City can also appeal to CAS to have their ban temporarily lifted during the appeal process.
According to CAS's procedural rule R48 they can submit a statement of appeal containing an application to stay the execution of the decision appealed against, together with reasons.
