The Premier League will now intensify their investigation into Manchester City following UEFA's sensational decision to ban them from European football for two seasons.

City learned on Friday that they will be expelled from European football for the next two campaigns following breaches of Financial Fair Play regulations, although they will remain in the Champions League this season and will face Real Madrid in the last-16 on February 26.

A UEFA statement declared that the governing body had found City guilty of "serious breaches of the UEFA Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations", with the club fined £24.9million in addition to the two-year ban from continental competition.

The reigning Premier League champions have indicated that they will appeal the verdict in the strongest possible terms, and will now take their case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

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The Premier League had been conducting their own investigation into City's Financial Fair Play breaches before UEFA's announcement, and Mirror Sport has learned that the decision from UEFA will see them firm up that probe into the club.

There have been suggestions that City would face a Premier League points deduction following the ruling, but officials at the English top-flight would not reach that decision based on UEFA's ruling alone.

(Image: PA Archive/PA Images)

Instead they will continue to look into the finances surrounding City before reaching their own conclusions, which could include a points deduction although that is not clear yet.

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The UEFA ruling against City centres on issues that occurred between 2012 and 2016, but reports that the club could be stripped of the two Premier League titles they won during that period are wide of the mark.