LONDON, May 16 -- Manchester City have expressed their disappointment on Thursday after it was referred to UEFA's adjudicatory chamber following an investigation into allegations of unfair financial practices.

City were fined 49 million pounds (63 million dollars) and hit with restrictions on transfer spending and their Champions League squad after FFP breaches were originally investigated by football's European governing body in 2017.

UEFA launched a new round of investigation based on "leaked " internal City emails and other documents published by the German magazine Der Spiegel last November. The files appeared to unveil how City used direct funding from Abu Dhabi United Group, the investment fund owned by Sheik Mansour to supplement sponsorship deals. It is claimed that the Abu Dhabi United Group, which owns City, directly paid 59.5 million pounds (76.16 million dollars) of Etihad's annual sponsorship, with only eight million pounds (10.24 million dollars) coming from the airline company.

UEFA's rules place a strict limit on the capital an owner can inject directly into a club. City could be stung with a one-season ban from Champions League competition if they are found guilty of breaching FFP regulations.

UEFA introduced the Financial Fair Play (FFP) to stop clubs from getting stuck in severe debts or allowing wealthy sponsors to give their teams an unfair advantage.

"The Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) chief investigator, after having consulted with the other members of the independent investigatory chamber of the CFCB, has decided to refer Manchester City FC to the CFCB adjudicatory chamber following the conclusion of his investigation," said a UEFA statement.

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