Finishing eighth in the Premier League will no longer be enough for Tottenham in their battle to qualify for Europa League football after Manchester City’s European ban was overturned.
City had been haneded a two-year ban from Europe, but the club has revealed the suspension has now been lifted by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The ruling has a serious knock-on effect on a number of clubs chasing European spots in the Premier League table.
Spurs had been chasing Champions League qualification, which at one point looked realistic because finishing fifth in the table would have been enough. But the team’s recent form had all but ended that chase.
It is now all but impossible for Jose Mourinho’s side to qualify for Europe’s elite competition, as only the top four will be rewarded with Champions League football.
What’s more, before the ruling Tottenham were sitting in the final Europa League position, but eight will no longer suffice. The Londoners will need to move up to sixth or seventh if they want to be playing on Thursday nights next term.
In fact, it could be the case that seventh will only be enough if Manchester City win the FA Cup.
Manchester United, Wolves and Sheffield United currently occupy fifth to seventh in the table, but the Red Devils will go third if they win their game in hand against Southampton tonight, which would see Leicester City fall to fifth – Spurs are currently seven points behind the Foxes.
Nothing new then. The Faceless suits that run the Premier league will get what they want, the four Flat pack bores in the champion league for next season. Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea. They have successfully manipulated the results and insured that no other clubs benefit. We will have more of the boring same teams in European competition again. At least I can find something to do that will be more enjoyable than watching that lot again.
Absolute joke undermined UEFA & FFP completely, sending the message that you can break any damn rule you like just as long as you can hide it for 5 yrs until it becomes time barred! Surely even if it did happen 8yrs ago City’s owners are no longer “fit & proper” to run a football club?