This is a battle not just for Man City but for the future of the game

UEFA, which has waved its paw at the Financial Fair Play debate for far too long, has finally found its claws after banning Manchester City from the Champions League — but the ensuing fight is now going to be bloody and extended.

The principles at both ends of the argument are passionate and strike at the heart of what the sport is all about; the protagonists are rich and powerful and their resources almost limitless.