Cas: The Court of Arbitration for Sport and Why Man City Cannot Appeal There
The Court of Arbitration for Sport handles over 900 cases annually, but Manchester City cannot take their Premier League charges there due to English law provisions.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) is an independent body that resolves legal disputes in sport, with panels of accredited arbitrators hearing cases and issuing decisions. Based in Switzerland, it handles over 900 cases each year from more than 50 sports, covering issues such as contracts, transfers, doping, match-fixing, and governance.
Cas has been involved in several high-profile matters. In July 2020, it overturned Manchester City's two-year ban from European competitions. It is currently reviewing Senegal's appeal after the Confederation of African Football reversed the result of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final, awarding victory to Morocco despite Senegal's win on the pitch. At the 2026 Winter Olympics, Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych appealed to an on-site Cas team after the IOC banned him for wearing a helmet depicting Ukrainian athletes killed during Russia's invasion; the case was dismissed. Other cases have taken years: Kamila Valieva's doping ban led to Russia's team figure skating gold being downgraded to bronze, and Russia's appeal was dismissed in July 2024. US gymnast Jordan Chiles may have her 2024 Paris Olympics bronze reinstated as Cas examines whether her score appeal was filed within the time limit.
Manchester City cannot appeal their Premier League charges to Cas because Premier League clubs have agreed that all cases involving the league and its clubs are conducted in England and Wales under English law. Since Cas is based in Lausanne, Switzerland, it is not permitted to intervene. Instead, the Premier League has its own arbitration panel, which can hear cases on a limited set of factors as the final point of contest, as specified in sections W97 and X.2.4 of the Premier League handbook. A similar agreement exists for English Football League clubs, so legal issues in the Championship, League One, and League Two must be settled domestically.
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