British media reported that Manchester City sought the services of the famous lawyer David Panick to face the sanctions imposed by the European Football Association (UEFA) on the team, which will deprive him for two years of participating in the continental competitions.
The British newspaper, Mirror, said Banik would receive twenty thousand pounds per day (about 24,000 euros) and would lead the club's defense team before the Sports Arbitration Court.
Banik, 63, was known for his success in blocking the Brexit route on two occasions, the first being when he took over a case that prevented former Prime Minister Theresa May from carrying out the exit without Parliament’s approval, and the second when he pursued a case at the level of the British Supreme Court that accused the Prime Minister Boris Johnson providing false advice to Queen Elizabeth.
| Panic has defended Manchester City (Reuters) |
The European Union imposed a two-year suspension and a 30 million euro fine on Manchester City for violating the rules of fair financial play.
Manchester City is seeking to cancel UEFA's sanctions and avoid the absence of European competitions during the next two seasons and incur a loss of more than two hundred million euros in prizes and broadcast and sponsorship revenues.
The club said earlier that UEFA's decision was based on leaked letters and stolen evidence, and team CEO Ferran Soriano spoke of political motives for the decision.
The same lawyer previously represented Manchester City, and he won a case in January 2013 that forced former coach Joe Ruili to pay nearly half a million euros to the club in compensation and court fees because of a case he brought up 12 years ago.