It appears that Manchester City are to be fined €60m or around £50m for breaches of Uefa’s financial fair play rules. It is not clear whether the fine would take a phased reduction of Champions League prize money as some reports are suggesting. In addition they are likely to face a cap on the size of their squad and possibly a wages cap as well.
It appears that Manchester City are to be fined €60m or around £50m for breaches of Uefa’s financial fair play rules. It is not clear whether the fine would take a phased reduction of Champions League prize money as some reports are suggesting. In addition they are likely to face a cap on the size of their squad and possibly a wages cap as well.
Why is the fine so large? In part it reflects the determination of Uefa to get its FFP rules taken seriously and to make an example of particular clubs. It also reflects the way in which Uefa’s detailed and complex rules have been applied. There are also some interesting questions about how the sanctions will affect the interpretations of the Premier League’s own rules. A fuller discussion of these issues can be found here.
It is believed that City have until Friday to reach a settlement. They are aggrieved that, as they see it, they have been treated more harshly than Paris Saint Germain who broke the rules even more blatantly. They could appeal to the Court for the Arbitration of Sport in Lausanne and a broader legal challenge in the European courts to the legitmacy of the rules remains a possible option.