City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak and manager Pep Guardiola with the Premier League trophy the club won last season

The allegations stemming from the Football Leaks data have been numerous and varied but the core question is this: have Manchester City been riding roughshod over football’s rules and regulations in their bid for global dominance?

The announcement of the opening of a formal investigation by Uefa’s Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) takes that question to another level because it means that City are now in danger of facing a punishment that could affect their participation in a Champions League campaign.

Uefa is one of four governing bodies of football, including the FA, Fifa and the Premier League, investigating City over issues connected to the leaks.

Over the past three months, and usually late on a Friday afternoon, a group of European newspapers and websites