Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher says that if Manchester City were to win the Champions League this season, their triumph would “almost be tainted”, after their two-year ban from Uefa competitions and €30 million (£25 million) fine for breaching financial fair play regulations. Speaking on Sky Sports during its Monday Night Football discussion Telegraph Sport columnist said that Uefa should have either chosen to take City out of this season’s competition or waited until the summer to deliver their verdict. Pep Guardiola’s side play Real Madrid in the round of 16, the first tie a week on Wednesday at the Bernabeu. City say that the Uefa adjudicatory chamber reached their decision by a “flawed and consistently leaked process” which was “prejudicial” and intend to appeal the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. They deny the charges. Carragher said: “I can’t believe they [City] are in the competition now.” “What would happen if City win it this season? They are favourites for it, they are one of the best teams in Europe. It will make a mockery of the competition. Uefa will be desperate for Manchester City to get beaten by Real Madrid, absolutely desperate. Can you imagine Uefa giving the cup in Istanbul [where the final will be played on May 30] to a Manchester City player? “The first question Pep Guardiola will get asked after the game, ‘Is this a fake win?’ ‘Is it like [does it mean the same as winning it with] Barcelona?’ He will be asked about the merits of the club. Should they be in the competition? If they win it will almost be tainted. It would be the biggest thing City have ever done. It’s the biggest thing any club can do. “The things that will be getting thrown at Pep Guardiola five minutes later and these players will be ‘should they be in the competition?’ Uefa should have taken them out the competition right now or they should have left this to the end of the season.” Carragher added that the City players should show the club some loyalty and not consider leaving.