Man City hire £20,000-a-day lawyer David Pannick who blocked Brexit TWICE twice to help them overturn European football ban

Earlier this month, the Premier League champions were hit with a two-year ban from the Champions League and Europa League, and a £24.9million fine, after breaching Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations.

Man City said they will appeal the punishment at the Court of Arbitration 'at the earliest opportunity', with the club’s CEO Ferran Soriano passionately denying the allegations, saying they are ‘simply not true’.

And the reigning Premier League champions have responded by bringing in David Pannick QC, one of the lawyers in the UK, to head up their legal fight against UEFA.

The 63-year-old represented Gina Miller twice when she took issue with former Prime Minister Theresa May and current PM Boris Johnson over Brexit.

He successfully represented Miller when she stopped May from taking Great Britain out of the European Union without consent from Parliament in 2016.

And Pannick represented Miller once more last year when she told the Supreme Court Johnson had given the Queen the wrong advice when trying to suspend Parliament.

City are hoping he can do the same and manage to keep them in European competition, and are understood to be paying £20,000-a-day for Pannick's services.

Meanwhile, despite the impending ban from Europe, City boss Pep Guardiola has not ruled out signing a new long-term contract at the club.

The Spaniard, who has won back-to-back Premier League titles, is out of contract at the end of next season.

He said: "My happiness. I’m looking for my happiness, that’s the only thing I’m looking for.

“Everyone is looking for that, to be happy with what they do.

“I’m working with exceptional players especially and I have the feeling that they follow us 100 per cent.

“Knowing how it’s not easy working with us and with me, but I’m happy. That is the only reason why, when I move from one place, always it’s because I am thinking I can be happier than the place that I was before. That is the only reason.

“When I feel that, but I feel I am with a club, we have got incredible owners and a good relationship, so I think it will not be a problem, to understand both sides, if we decide to stay three more years or stay in the time we are together.

“With [chairman] Khaldoon [Al Mubarak] we are going to talk at the end of the season, or in the middle of next season, and we will see.”

Man City have hired a £20,000-a-day lawyer, who helped block Brexit twice, to help overturn their European football ban.