Manchester City and PSG Face Sanctions For FFP
Mandatory Credit: Paul Frederiksen-USA TODAY Sports
Noveau rich European superpowers Manchester City and PSG have been spending money by the hundreds of millions since being taken over by wealthy owners from the Middle East but it appears that the bill is finally coming around. City and PSG are the first clubs that will face sanctions under UEFA’s new Financial Fair Play rules for their unchecked spending sprees and for the losses they have incurred.
The penalties for breaking the financial fair play (FFP) rules include a limit on the salary bill of the their European A squad. What the means essentially is that City and PSG will have to limit the number of players on the squads they use for the Champions League or compensate with players with lower wages. Both clubs have the option to accept the penalties as part of a settlement offer from UEFA or try to appeal before the parties meet.
The sanctions from UEFA:
"“Restriction on the number of players that a club may register for participation in UEFA competitions, including a financial limit on the overall aggregate cost of the employee benefits expenses of players registered on the A-list for the purposes of UEFA club competitions.”"
While it is not the fire and brimstone approach many thought UEFA would employ, this is certainly a blow for both parties. Both have struggled to advance very far in the Champions League and limiting the squads will only make it tougher. The sanctions on wage bills will also affect PSG more than Manchester City because PSG has to pay higher wages to attract top tier talent to a lower tier league. Manchester City have the advantage of playing in one of the world’s most popular football leagues and have a few years ahead of PSG in terms of building global brand recognition.
Whatever the sanctions may be and whatever actually happens is still not clear but it shows that UEFA will flex its muscles every now and then if clubs are not following their rules. Chelsea FC has steered clear of any FFP issues and has been following the regulations set forth. Whether these sanctions also impact either club’s domestic squads is also yet to be seen.
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