CAS rules in favour of PSG in the legal battle with UEFA over FFP

Bengaluru, March 20: Paris Saint-Germain won a major legal battle after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled in favour of the Ligue 1 champions against UEFA's allegations of breaking Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules.

The CAS said it had upheld PSG's appeal against the European football's governing body on the grounds that the body took too long to review its own decision to clear the French champions of breaking FFP rules.

PSG had appealed to the CAS in October last year after a UEFA panel decided in September to reopen the probe into the club's compliance with Financial Fair Play regulations.

"The appeal filed at the CAS on 3 October 2018 by Paris Saint-Germain against the decision issued on 19 September 2018 by the Adjudicatory Chamber of the UEFA (to reopen the case) is upheld and the challenged decision is set aside," CAS said in a statement.

It added that the ruling was "final and binding."

The probe was opened to determine whether PSG, who is owned by wealthy Qatari businessman Nasser Al Khelaifi, respected financial rules imposed by UEFA which broadly limit them to spending no more than they earn.

The club said in a statement it "took note of the favourable decision and intends to go ahead serenely with its development."

https://t.co/yuTZlzuVe7

— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) March 19, 2019

PSG argued that the decision to reopen the case violated UEFA's own rules limiting to 10 days the period of review of its original decision to drop the case.

UEFA rules "provided for a 10-day review period during which any review should be instigated and completed and that the challenged decision (to reopen the case) was manifestly late," the CAS statement added.

(With inputs from Agencies)