Manchester City's potential one-year expulsion from the Champions League could cost the club a whole lot of money.
On Monday it was reported by the New York Times that an investigatory panel is about to suggest to UEFA that City's alleged breaches of the Financial Fair Play rules justify a one year ban from the Europe's premier club competition.
The investigation is to do with the club allegedly misleading the European football governing body over the cost of certain sponsorship deals from the United Arab Emirates.
If a ban is the punishment decided, City would have the right to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland - which makes it highly unlikely of the ejection happening in time for next season's campaign should the Premier League champions be found guilty.
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However, if the outcome of the investigation is indeed that City are unable to play in the Champions League for a season, then they would miss out on a massive sum of prize money and performance related bonuses as a result.
Taking every incentive and basing it on City's target of winning the Champions League and the subsequent UEFA Super Cup game that follows, they would be looking at losing out on an available €86.95 million in prize money.
As per Give Me Sport, €15.25 million is given to clubs who compete in the group stages, where €2.7 million is handed out for every win as well as €900,000 per draw.
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Progression to the final totalises €47 million (adding up last 16, quarter final and semi-final payments), with the Champions League winner getting €4 million, a further €3.5 million for contesting the UEFA Super Cup in August and then a final €1 million to whoever lifts the trophy.
Excluding their share of the estimated lucrative pot of €292 million in TV money that gets shared about, City made €46.95m from their eighth consecutive season in the Champions League, where they reached the quarter finals but were knocked out by finalists Tottenham on away goals.
While they will still be financially sustainable through various other sources of income, City getting banned by UEFA would be a huge blow for the club.
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City, however, maintain they are not guilty of any wrongdoing and are confident of a positive outcome.
"Manchester City is entirely confident of a positive outcome when the matter is considered by an independent judicial body," read a strong statement on the club's official website.
"The accusation of financial irregularities remains entirely false and the CFCB IC referral ignores a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence provided by Manchester City FC to the Chamber.
"The decision contains mistakes, misinterpretations and confusions fundamentally borne out of a basic lack of due process and there remain significant unresolved matters raised by Manchester City FC as part of what the Club has found to be a wholly unsatisfactory, curtailed, and hostile process."
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