How Bad Could This Get For Manchester City?

Manchester City have been banned from the Champions League for the next two seasons alongside a £25m fine because of "serious breaches" in UEFA financial fair play regulations.

The club will remain in the Champions League this year, having made it to the knockout rounds already; Pep Guardiola and his men will travel to Spain to face Real Madrid on February 26, before the return leg on March 17.

City have indeed stated that the club are "disappointed but not surprised" by the news and will appeal. However, this could just be the start of a complete disaster for the Premier League champions.

As is the case with such a high profile manager, Guardiola is at the forefront of all this madness. Currently, the action on the pitch, players and board are all taking a back seat, as we sit and wonder what could happen to the Spaniard.

If we talk about history, Guardiola does not stay longer than four seasons in a managerial role. His four years at Barcelona were followed by his three-year stint at Bayern Munich, and now, the 49-year-old is concluding his fourth year with City.

So, should history tell the tale, the legendary manager could well be on his way out of Manchester. Then, when you consider his ultimate desire to reclaim European gold, now may just be the time Guardiola calls it quits on this magical era with the Sky Blues.

SkyBet currently price Guardiola at 2/1 to not be in charge of the club at the start of the 2020/21 season.

City's star-studded squad has been the dominant force in English football over this past decade, accumulating 10 major trophies, which includes four Premier League trophies.

However, the title which has evaded them entirely is the prestigious Champions League, which is something Guardiola himself was brought in to seal. But now, with 12 years of wealth and two more years of no Champions League, what will happen to their gargantuan names?

Players such as Kevin De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez are both 28 and perhaps entering their peaks years. And, no doubt, they would like this to tie in with consistent Champions League football. Plus, the likes of Raheem Sterling, Aymeric Laporte and Bernardo Silva are all 25 and would surely not struggle to find European football elsewhere.

Elsewhere, Sergio Aguero and Leroy Sane find their contracts expiring next season. So, why would they continue their services without Champions League football?

It's fair to say that as of now, a points deduction has little effort on City's overall standing now and next year. If they receive a points deduction and finish outside the European spots, it makes no difference. At the same time, City are 25 points behind league leaders Liverpool and have little chance catching them right now, regardless.

Reports have suggested that the Citizens' could be set for another ban after UEFA's Adjudicatory Chamber found the Citizens had overstated their sponsorship revenue between 2012 and 2016, which could force the Premier League to take action.

Should the English top-flight do so, it could mean a points deduction and, at the very worst, a relegation to League Two.

The ironic thing about City's breach of FFP is how much money they could be set to lose. The club have already lost £25m in fines from UEFA, which is just short of half of Rodri's record signing fee in the summer.

On the other hand, those who sponsor City and their players could be set to lose out on millions without the Champions League cameras at the Etihad. Then, there is the money that comes with qualifying and advancing in the competition itself and the TV rights along with the name in that hat.

Reports have suggested that City could be set to lose out on £100m each year without the Champions League. Plus the players and sponsor that they may struggle to bring in as a result could cause more financial concern.