UEFA have just announced that seven European clubs are to be investigated for potential breaches of the Financial Fair Play (FFP) guidelines, for the financial years ending in 2012 and 2013.
UEFA’s FFP laws state that clubs should lose no more than €45M (£35M) over the three-year period from 2011 through 2014.
Inter-Milan, Liverpool, Monaco, Roma, Besiktas, Sporting Lisbon and FC Krasnodar are the seven clubs to be investigated by UEFA, for failing to abide by the FFP regulations.
It’s interesting that the first four clubs named above are now back in European competition this season, after missing out in the previous season.
The UEFA Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) has asked the seven clubs to submit further evidence as to why they should not be punished for overspending over the last three years.
Here’s the UEFA statement:
“These clubs will need to submit additional monitoring information during October and November upon the deadlines set by the CFCB, subsequent to which an additional communication will be made and conservatory measures may be imposed.”
Both Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain were found guilty and fined £50M over the summer and restricted in the number of players they can play in their Champions League squads for the coming season, after they were found to have spent way beyond the UEFA guidelines over the last three seasons.
But we’ve seen very little of that reported in the press.
Both clubs won their respective leagues in their countries last season, and nothing was done to take those trophies away from the clubs – so we’re sure both City and PSG think that fine was well worth it.
And when UEFA President Michel Platini introduced the FFP guidelines some years ago, the punishment was supposed to be a ban on European competition, but that has not happened.
Instead UEFA has elected to fine the two clubs for overspending – but money is one thing they are hardly short of with their Billionaire owners – so that seems a ridiculous punishment – in fact it’s hardly a punishment at all.
And finally, there is no chance that Newcastle United will ever fall foul of the UEFA FFP spending guidelines – not while Mike Ashley is the club owner.
We’re not sure if that is good or bad.
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100 comments so far
Graeme
Sep 26, 2014 at 4:42 PM
Comment #1If UEFA are serious in making the FFP work, then they have got to start banning those found quilty, from all UEFA competitions.
It will have far greater effect than fining a team like Man City 50 million, which is basically pin money to them.
The big question is – do UEFA have the balls to carry it through??
catchy in norway
Sep 26, 2014 at 4:48 PM
Comment #2Tesco Troubles: Mike Ashley Makes £43m Bet
Sky News
Thu 25 Sep 11:54 GMT
The billionaire owner of Sports Direct and Newcastle United has made a £43m bet on Tesco’s future.
The announcement was made by the retailer, which is majority-owned by Mike Ashley, to the stock exchange as the supermarket chain battles the fallout from a £250m profits error.
Average_Contents
Sep 26, 2014 at 4:54 PM
Comment #3Graeme
Not a chance mate especially big name teams as their the main pull for audiences plus the impact of excluding them would cost UEFA far too much in things like sponsorship deals and selling the rights to broadcast companies such as sky and itv if these clubs never competed. Who’d want to watch lol.
I’d imagine they’d be more likely to ban smaller teams as the impact would be minimal.
Joke either way as money rules all. Corrupt fcukers!
Go toon gooooo
Sep 26, 2014 at 4:54 PM
Comment #4City of Manchester Stadium-Etihad
Highbury-Emirates
Santiago Bernabeui-Abu Dhabi
The point is clear.
clinath@ed
Sep 26, 2014 at 5:11 PM
Comment #5I’m afraid it’s like any governing body, including governments. If you cannot solve the problem, at least try and make some money out of the situation.
Big Pappa Cissé
Sep 26, 2014 at 5:37 PM
Comment #6I dread to think what the cost of a match day will be in 20 years 🙁 .
Professional football is getting further and further away from the working class unfortunately .
mag92
Sep 26, 2014 at 5:56 PM
Comment #7In twenty years the circus will have moved on from the premier league and a lot of clubs will go to the wall, just like the Italian league in the nineties.
mag92
Sep 26, 2014 at 6:04 PM
Comment #8A European super league will be the future and the clubs who are not in the loop will fall by the wayside.
Thump
Sep 26, 2014 at 6:23 PM
Comment #9What pisses me off is that QPR have been threatened with relegation to the conference, while City, PSG, Barca et al. have been given a slap on the wrist.
Note that the Conference thing only came about when the Football League said they wouldn’t be readmitting them; I’d bet my last f’ing breath that the likes of City and Liverpool would be admitted without a seconds hesitation.
Tsunki
Sep 26, 2014 at 6:25 PM
Comment #10Mag62 and Mag92? That’s not very original. 😐
Tsunki
Sep 26, 2014 at 6:27 PM
Comment #11Sorry Mag52 and Mag92. I’m giving away ideas.
Tsunki
Sep 26, 2014 at 6:29 PM
Comment #12Thing about QPR is that they have already suffered enough punishment at the hands of the cynical shower of money grabbing journeymen without a days effort in them they call… players.
Enough already. They are living proof that you can’t always buy success.
Tsunki
Sep 26, 2014 at 6:37 PM
Comment #13Anyway, Mag92 I don’t think any of that will happen. The world’s economy and the governance of football both organisationally and commercially has moved on a long way since the 90’s, and while the FA and PL are not perfect, they don’t seem to be anywhere in the same way as affected by rank corruption as the aforesaid league. I dare say that there will be a European league one day ( possibly following the kind of model as American football who knows) but while the CL creates such lucrative revenue worldwide anyway, I can’t see them strangling that particular gold-egg laying bird just yet.
Belfast
Sep 26, 2014 at 6:40 PM
Comment #144 on the trot, can’t be having that
mag92
Sep 26, 2014 at 6:42 PM
Comment #15All of Europes big guns are already angling for a super league and all the wealth it will generate.
Tsunki
Sep 26, 2014 at 6:42 PM
Comment #16Damn your eyes, you cad! I knew I could smell a rat.
Belfast
Sep 26, 2014 at 6:43 PM
Comment #17You’re getting more like G2 as each day passes.
I presume it’s very quiet on here because fifa 15 was released today ha
Tsunki
Sep 26, 2014 at 6:50 PM
Comment #18Mag92 – Are they? Who? Why would they do that when Europa and CL generate a fairly substantial amount of revenue already? Would they ditch the CL for a ‘super league’ and hope that fans of Man Utd, Real, Chelsea etc travel to away ties in Europe every two weeks and pay massively hiked home ticket prices! Meanwhile, would the FA’s of Europe welcome their premier league a being demoted to Second Division Status? What about FFP then? How would a PL side make the jump to Super League and would they even try when the odds are it would bankrupt them in the process? Too many cons, my friend(s)
Belfast
Sep 26, 2014 at 6:51 PM
Comment #19Don’t be shy, this sad kernt has been playing it all day.
I’ve lost control of the tv now though.
Currently plotting how to wrestle it back. 😉
Tsunki
Sep 26, 2014 at 6:52 PM
Comment #20Ah that would explain it, I stopped playing Fifa years ago when I realised I was crap at it. No joy in being trounced by your kids on a regular basis.
Belfast
Sep 26, 2014 at 6:52 PM
Comment #21Me not a rat, me a mouse
Belfast
Sep 26, 2014 at 6:54 PM
Comment #22I only really play it to avoid associating with my lot skunki ha
mag92
Sep 26, 2014 at 6:54 PM
Comment #23Well we already have a two tier league now, all the Champions league teams and then there’s the rest fighting for a Europa spot!
Belfast
Sep 26, 2014 at 6:57 PM
Comment #24I see X factor is on at nine, seems like a good time to strike.
Playing the long game
Tsunki
Sep 26, 2014 at 7:03 PM
Comment #25Mag92 – that’s true. But I don’t see how that makes them want to change it so the ‘elite’ (rich) teams no longer compete in their own country leagues. The PL for example is transmitted worldwide, and all clubs ground advertising gets beamed around the world, top brand placement for say, the likes of Sports Direct. Would each league get as much money or even as many takers for their product if there was a single better product, a super league? I doubt that would be popular with eufa.
Tsunki
Sep 26, 2014 at 7:04 PM
Comment #26Uefa.
Tsunki
Sep 26, 2014 at 7:06 PM
Comment #27Belfast- isn’t that a glad on hour strategy? Surely x factor will tie up the TV even more. I wouldn’t even bother sparking up fifa an hour either side of it when that one’s on the box in this house.
Transfer Sage
Sep 26, 2014 at 7:07 PM
Comment #28It’s a farcical rule anyway and goes against how nearly all business work.
Most business get loans/investments to grow, otherwise they tend to plateau. By only allowing clubs to spend what they make big clubs get bigger and pull away from the smaller sides. Obviously odd example of clubs spending lots and badly or small amounts and well but in general nothing will change at the top.
For once harry redknapp had the good idea of setting a wage bill limit and transfer fee limit, have all clubs with the same budget to play with. Only way to be fair…current method of “fairness” is anything but fair.
Tsunki
Sep 26, 2014 at 7:08 PM
Comment #29Would you believe ‘glad on hour’ was my phones take on ‘ flaw in your’? I so love technology.
mag92
Sep 26, 2014 at 7:08 PM
Comment #30Well that’s for the football boffins to sort out.most of Europes leagues haven’t got the revenue of the premier league and they want a piece of the action.
The next Mike Williamson
Sep 26, 2014 at 7:09 PM
Comment #31Platini is in with the Qatari’s since they bought PSG to stop him complaining about the english teams getting an advantage. How such a xenophobic, idiotic, corrupt prat has got that EUFA role is beyond me. Perhaps he gave Sep Blatter a bung to get the job. Those two thieving scumbags need to go, or the EPL needs to disassociate from them.
Man City should have the league taken away from them & 20 points deducted. PSG the same. And Qatar & Russia should have the world cups taken off them an given to countries that did not bribe Blatter & his English hating colleagues.
Transfer Sage
Sep 26, 2014 at 7:10 PM
Comment #32Big papa
I wish we had the German model over here. Cheap tickets, great away day travel offers (free for some), fan involvement, safe standing…so much better than premier league for actually going to games.
Transfer Sage
Sep 26, 2014 at 7:13 PM
Comment #33I don’t mind clubs spending an owners money…how do other businesses grow..need a large investment upfront until they start to enervate their own capital and then get less and less from their backer. Chelsea have actually turned profits in recent transfer windows whilst still improving.
City have cut back a bit too.
Tsunki
Sep 26, 2014 at 7:14 PM
Comment #34Sage – it’d the dimple premise behind fantasy football and it seems to work pretty well, even if it is a virtual model. The likes of Jimmy Hill would stir in their graves but a reviewable cap on player wages, transfer fees, agents only allowed to deal with commercial rights not connected with club business could get rid of the predatory antics of the super rich owners.
Tsunki
Sep 26, 2014 at 7:16 PM
Comment #35The dimple. Really. Simple
LGFUAD21
Sep 26, 2014 at 7:17 PM
Comment #36Clubs are taking legal action on the basis that these rules limit player opportunity and therefore impact their career but also that it is against fair competition.
It’s bull because the court will hold it up.
They shouldn’t fine clubs or reduce squad. It should be agreed between all European associations to deduct points from the league. Or even champions league.
I hope a top lawyer comes in to counter the legal fight by citing the structure or american sports.
Belfast
Sep 26, 2014 at 7:19 PM
Comment #37No skunki.
The main objective is to clear the living room.
I’ll just drop it into conversation before x factor comes on. Probably around half 8.
This is a tried and trusted method.
LGFUAD21
Sep 26, 2014 at 7:20 PM
Comment #38Transfer Sage
September 26, 2014
That’s where the issue comes from.
When the league sold its soul to sky it allowed this kind of thing on the basis of it being standard business practice.
Now the owners use this argument.
In a perfect world run with hindsight the league would be managed centrally through the fa.
Yes it’s anti business, it’s intervention but you have to admire the NFL for what it is. Both profitable for franchise owners as well as competitive because of the amount of intervention and centralisation of power.
It won’t happen because its gne too far in the name of capitalism but if it had been done like this back in the early 90s the league would be better for it now.
LGFUAD21
Sep 26, 2014 at 7:21 PM
Comment #39Sage
On Germany that is more a cultural difference than governance but I agree.
All clubs should follow the example of Dortmund.
Big Pappa Cissé
Sep 26, 2014 at 7:22 PM
Comment #40@ sage
I agree m8 .
Season tickets and even match day tickets are cheap as chips compared to the PL and their fans are unreal with their flags and co-ordinated jumping 🙂 .
I would love to see something similar at St. James’ park like at Shearer’s testimonial with the addition of some huge NUFC flags .