Man City do face a ban from Champions League, warns Uefa FFP chief

EUROPEAN football’s chief financial investigator has warned Manchester City they DO face a Champions League ban, just hours ahead of their crunch match with Liverpool.

SunSport revealed last month how senior figures within Uefa felt City needed heavy punishment over alleged breaches of Financial Fair Play rules.

Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City could be excluded from Uefa competitions if found in breach of FFP regulations

Documents released as part of the Football Leaks cache detailed how City appeared to have hidden more than £70m in funding from the club’s Abu Dhabi owners by claiming it was legitimate sponsorship income.

That came after it emerged City had cut a deal with former Uefa general secretary Gianni Infantino – now President of Fifa – over breaches of the regulations in 2014.

City did not contest the legitimacy of any of the leaked documents or emails, instead criticising the release of “out of context materials purported to have been hacked or stolen” and adding: “The attempt to damage the club’s reputation is organised and clear.”

Documents released by Football Leaks have revealed City appeared to have hidden £70m in funding from the Abu Dhabi United Group owned by Sheikh Mansour

But now the pressure has been cranked by Yves Leterme, the chairman and chief investigator of Uefa’s Club Financial Control Body.

Leterme, a former Belgian Prime Minister, said: “If what has been written about Manchester City is true, there might be a serious problem.

“This can lead to the heaviest punishment – exclusion from Uefa competitions.”

Leterme, speaking to Belgium’s Sports and Strategy magazine, added: “If the information is correct, this goes against the truthful reporting of financial affairs.

Yves Leterme, the chairman and chief investigator of Uefa’s Club Financial Control Body, said Man City could face the “heaviest punishment” if allegations towards them turn out to be true

“The Financial Fair Play rules are based on a system of declaration.

“Three months after the clubs have closed their accounts, they have to deposit their figures.

“Then we do random checks on the truthfulness of those figures. The accounts are examined and approved internally and externally.”

Uefa President Aleksander Ceferin confirmed last month that City’s books had been re-opened by European chiefs.

It is alleged Man City hid millions used to fund big-name signings

Ceferin said: “We are assessing the situation. We have an independent body working on it.

“Very soon you will have an answer on what will happen in this concrete case.”

Manchester City take on Liverpool tonight in the biggest game of the season as Guardiola’s side look to reduce the gap at the top of the table.