What is this?
People are not happy they broke the rules that are set for everyone to obtain a clear advantage over the past 12-15 years.
Not sure what you’re unclear about here.
FFP regulations were intended to prevent “overzealous directors from themselves” and borrowing to a dangerous degree that put creditors and the club themselves in jeopardy.
They specifically denied at the time it was an artificial cap intended to prevent what some called “financial doping”. There were then several prominent lawsuits out, which UEFA saw themselves as losing. That was the reason given for the “easing” of FFP in 2015.
The rule was never intended to prevent someone from using actual money (not debt) to compete with already wealthy teams like United, Liverpool, and Madrid.
Or at least that’s what they said. The obvious inference many took was that that was EXACTLY what FFP was for: to protect the status quo.
People are acting like all the leagues and all the owners agreed to this equally. They didn’t; hence the lawsuits. It was only after certain assurances were given that they were dropped. Some of those assurances have seemed under threat for awhile now.
I will agree that the sloppy ways in which they breached FFP has earned them what they get.
But they should have just challenged FFP openly.
The real problem with it is it places limits on how teams can acquire legitimate money.
And the “types” of income are VERY slanted towards pre existing powers.
And no, money is not illegitimate if it comes from selling oil. It’s legitimate if it’s theirs, not borrowed, and they want to spend it on a football team.
Either an across the board hard cap, no cap, or, like some other leagues, a financial luxury tax distributed to teams without as much money if your spending crosses a certain threshold.
I am simply saying the narrative that City wildly outspent United is … wrong. And saying a team can’t invest money into a squad to reach your level just because they dont have the established fanbase and scope is anti free competition in business.
If City were an American owned team, where we have treaties with both Europe and the UK regarding this practice… there would be issues I feel certain.
City’s big sin was lying and committing fraud. They SHOULD face issues for that.
But my point is they should have challenged it and should t have had to make that choice. They were stupid to try and be “clever”.
But FFP as a restrictor if legitimate investment is not sustainable.
