Platini warns big guns to play by the rules or face Euro sanctions
UEFA’s latest figures show that financial problems affecting European clubs are getting worse, with spending on player wages up almost 10% – and increasing at a faster rate than income.
Under UEFA’s new rules, clubs will face possible bans from European competition from the 2014/15 season if they spend more than they earn in the three years before.
Manchester City’s recent £121million losses mean they are the club in England facing the greatest difficulty to abide by the rules – even though owners are also allowed to inject £12million a year (€15m) into their club. City are one of 11 clubs competing in Europe this season that would fall foul of the rules were they in force now.
Leading Italian clubs also face problems but UEFA president Platini said whatever their stature, the European governing body would not hesitate to take action.
Platini said: “If a club doesn’t fall in line and follow the same rules as everyone else then it will be time to face the music.
“Certainly it is not something we want to see.
“Our objective is not to put clubs into financial difficulty. Financial fair play is to help them escape from this devilish spiral and have a viable economic strategy in the long term. I will leave no stone unturned to do this.
“This is not a witch-hunt, this is so they no longer continue blindly and mindlessly.”
UEFA’s general secretary Gianni Infantino admitted the new rules are targeted at the amount spent by clubs on players’ wages.
“It is about better cost management, in particular the wages of players – it is an indirect salary cap,” Infantino said.
UEFA allocated a whole day to explain the system to the global media, and Infantino held up Arsenal as an example of a well-run club who have boosted their income without ever overspending.
He said: “Ten years ago Arsenal reported less income than Chelsea, Liverpool and Newcastle. Now it is more than those clubs and in 2009 more than double Newcastle’s.
Manchester City have already sent officials to meet UEFA about complying with the financial rules.
Andrea Traverso, UEFA’s head of licensing, said: “We are in talks with the club – they are aware of the rules and they probably have a strategy to raise their income.
“They have been to see us and they are confident that they can manage this challenge.”
Platini added: “Last year in Abu Dhabi I met up with the owner of Manchester City and he promised they would live with the rules and regulations.”
Under the new system UEFA will put clubs that have warning signs of possible problems in a special category where they are closely monitored.
The warning signs include recording a loss in any year; spending more than 70% of revenue on wages; having overdue football-related payments or tax debts; or a level of debts more than the size of the annual turnover.
As its stands currently, Chelsea and both Manchester clubs would be monitored, although United are insistent they would pass the financial fair play rules now.
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