Arsene Wenger Talks Manchester City's UCL Ban, Says Clubs Must Respect Rules

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has offered his view on Manchester City's two-season ban from the UEFA Champions League and said that clubs must be punished if they fail to respect the rules.

The Citizens have been banned from UEFA club competitions and fined €30 million (£24.9 million) for breaking financial fair play rules (FFP), and Wenger spoke about the decision at the Laureus Sports Awards in Berlin, per Mark Staniforth at The Independent.

"The rules are what they are and you have to respect them.

"People who are caught trying to get around the rules in more or less legal ways have to be punished, if it is proven that this has been done on purpose.

"I think sport is basically to win by respecting the rules - we celebrate the best in every sport and we want to know that they respect the rules.

"If there is no respect for the rules it is not real sport. If you go into a competition it is a sign that you respect the rules."

Manchester City said they were not surprised at UEFA's decision and have confirmed they will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The Athletic's Sam Lee has said Manchester City are confident of overturning the ban:

News of Manchester City's ban sent shock waves through the footballing world and has fuelled speculation over the future of manager Pep Guardiola and some of the team's key players.

Guardiola's contract at the Etihad Stadium runs until the summer of 2021, but it includes a clause that allows him to walk away at the end of the current campaign. However, he has told friends he intends to stay at the club despite the ban, according to Simon Stone at BBC Sport.

Midfielder Kevin De Bruyne's future has also come under scrutiny because of clauses in his contract relating to Champions League football, as highlighted by journalist Kristof Terreur:

Meanwhile, Raheem Sterling's agent, Aidy Ward, has responded to speculation Real Madrid could try to take advantage of the situation and sign the England international. 

Ward told the Mirror's John Cross: "Raheem is solely focused on Manchester City and will not be distracted by any talk of transfers to any club at the moment."

Wenger was critical of Manchester City's spending during his time in charge of the Gunners. The Frenchman saw players such as Emmanuel Adebayor, Gael Clichy, Samir Nasri and Bacary Sagna all leave Arsenal for the Etihad Stadium as Manchester City invested heavily in their squad.