Chelsea, Barça, Monaco… Not all clubs are in the same boat – Sport.fr
Chelsea’s crazy spending during this winter transfer window raises questions about the rules of Financial Fair Play and their application. Are all clubs thought about the rules in the same way? Nothing is less sure…
The transfer of the Argentinian midfielder to Enzo Fernandez from Benfica to Chelsea for 121 million euros concluded an XXL transfer window for the Blues. The latter will have spent the trifle of 350 million euros. The note climbs to more than 610 million if we count the expenses of last summer. According to RMC Sports, Chelsea could be worried about Financial Fair Play if the London club do not qualify for the Champions League next season. The residents of Stamford Bridge have been in the sights of UEFA since last September. Will they really be worried?
Manchester City case law
When we think of Financial Fair Play (FPF) sanctions, we will think of the Manchester City episode. In February 2020, the Citizens were banned from the European Cups for two years for violating the rules of financial fair play and were fined 30 million euros. It should be remembered that financial fair play prohibits a club engaged in European competition from spending more than it earns and limits capital injections from owners. Despite accusations of overvaluation of Manchester City’s sponsorships, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) then canceled the sanction in July 2020 and the fine was reduced from 30 to 10 million euros. A case that should serve as case law for any sanctioned club. Or other surprising sanctions were taken.
New rules, new start?
Financial fair play continues but some rules have changed, hoping to see this as a sign of a new start. From now on, the losses tolerated over 3 years will double, going from 30 to 60 million euros and will have to be covered by the shareholder. This mode of operation will favor clubs that belong to wealthy owners, such as Manchester City, Paris SG, Chelsea and Newcastle. On the other hand, the clubs must limit their payroll to 90% of their income in 2023-2024, then 80% and finally 70% from the 2025-2026 season, the time that the current contracts expire. In addition, each club will see its debt taken into account more. Clubs must reduce by 10% each season. Thus, clubs accustomed to heavy debts such as Barcelona or Manchester United risk being penalized by this new rule. Thus, UEFA could withdraw points for the new formula Champions League in 2024, or even demote them to the Europa League. If the case arises, will these clubs really be sanctioned if they appeal to the CAS? After the Manchester City case law, this is a question that we can legitimately ask ourselves.
The OM case raises questions about equal treatment between clubs
Under the old financial fair play regime, Olympique de Marseille did not have the same luck as Manchester City. When the Mancunian club came out white, OM were heavily sanctioned by UEFA: 3 million euros + limitation to 23 players who could play in the European Cups until 2023. In September 2022, when the new rules apply, Marseille is still sanctioned in the same way as Monaco and Paris SG. If the Marseillais and the Monegasques got away with a fine of 300,000 euros, the Parisians had to pay 10 million euros. Thus, the capital club was sanctioned in 2022 without having spent much on the transfer market. Or he hadn’t been when Neymar landed for 222 million euros. OM and Monaco never spend that kind of money on transfers, they can’t afford it. Although they have an imposing wage bill, they do not jeopardize the financial health of their respective institutions and do not spend more than they earn unlike Manchester City and Chelsea. However, the sanctions fall quite easily despite everything and come after French football has been hard hit economically, both because of the Covid crisis and the Mediapro crisis. In view of this particular context, more indulgence on the part of UEFA towards the three French clubs would not have been scandalous.
As a reminder, seven other clubs (Paris SG, Monaco, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus Turin, AS Rome and Besiktas), have been subject to sanctions by the club financial control body (ICFC). We will have to see in the future if clubs that have spent a lot in recent months such as Chelsea or Manchester City will be housed in the same boat.