Had another look at the CAS 1 judgment as this Tony Evans line that the UEFA finding is not based on the leaked emails seems so unbelievable. The very strong inference from that judgment is that it is the leaked emails that are the key:
"...Between 2 and 16 November 2018, several articles were published by Der Spiegel, Reuters and Mediapart about MCFC (the so-called “Football Leaks”).
8. On 10 December 2018, the Chief Investigator of the Investigatory Chamber wrote to MCFC about these “Football Leaks”, attaching extracts of publications and inviting MCFC to comment on the accuracy thereof.
9. On 7 March 2019, following the exchange of various correspondences between the Investigatory Chamber and MCFC, the Investigatory Chamber notified MCFC that “further to our letters for your attention dated 14 and 19 February 2019, your club’s response dated 1st March 2019 and subsequent information and documents recently made public in various media outlets, an investigation is hereby formally opened in accordance with Article 12 (2) of the Procedural rules governing the UEFA Club Financial Control Body – Edition 2015 [the “CFCB Procedural Rules”]” (the “Investigation”).
10. On 28 March and 11 April 2019 respectively, hearings took place before the Investigatory Chamber.
11. On 15 May 2019, the Investigatory Chamber issued the Referral Decision."
The idea that it was something inadvertently submitted by City in response to the investigation where City are said not to have cooperated is simply implausible.
