Manchester City have managed to escape a European ban meaning only the top-four sides on the Premier League table will play in the Champions League next season. And this could be really bad news for Chelsea.
Part of the statement released by the CAS read, as per ESPN: “However, considering i) the financial resources of MCFC; ii) the importance of the cooperation of clubs in investigations conducted by the CFCB, because of its limited investigative means; and iii) MCFC’s disregard of such principle and its obstruction of the investigations, the CAS Panel found that a significant fine should be imposed on MCFC and considered it appropriate to reduce UEFA’s initial fine by 2/3, i.e. to the amount of EUR 10 million.”
It’s no secret that Chelsea, Leicester City and Manchester United are all fighting for just two available spots on the Premier League table but according to Frank Lampard, his side have control over their own destiny right now.
He said, as reported: “I was pretty neutral on it, I just listened to the verdict this morning,
“I genuinely don’t see beyond the games in hand, we have a few games and we want to win them and see if it gets us Champions League football. I was never pinning my hopes on (the verdict). If we win enough games, we can get in.
“We’re sitting third(before Man United’s game against Southampton on Monday), it’s in our hands. I wouldn’t have liked the players to have thought, ‘oh there’s an extra place, we can relax a little bit’.”
Chelsea are one of the favourites to play in the Champions League next season but they still have to face Liverpool and Wolves in the league and both these matches could easily change the course of their season.
The Blues have played some eye-catching football this season but they have also dropped points in crucial matches meaning their fans will only be able to breathe a sigh of relief once they official secure a place in Europe’s top division.
