Different FFP rules could spell trouble for Manchester City | OneFootball

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Daily Cannon

·6 February 2023

Different FFP rules could spell trouble for Manchester City

Article image:Different FFP rules could spell trouble for Manchester City

Manchester City are in a bit of bother with the Premier League and they are facing very different rules compared to their previous battle with UEFA.

Manchester City have been charged by the Premier League for alleged violations of financial fair play rules over a nine-year period (2009-2018).

The Premier League’s financial fair play rules aim to balance club spending with their earnings, and Manchester City are facing charges for allegedly breaking these rules.


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The charges, of which there are more than 100, include failing to supply accurate financial information and hiding the true amount paid to a manager over a four-year span under a ‘secret contract’ [Sky Sports News].

The Premier League also alleges that City did not comply with UEFA’s financial fair play rules over five years and did not fully cooperate with the investigation.

There is no doubt that this is a serious matter for Manchester City.

As was explained on Sky Sports News, the main difference between UEFA and the Premier League in terms of financial regulations is that UEFA has a five-year statute of limitations, while the Premier League does not.

UEFA rules also state that evidence cannot come from illegal sources, while the Premier League handbook states that the source of evidence is irrelevant.

Football finance expert Kieran Maguire suggested on the same channel that evidence in the current case against Manchester City may have come from Football Leaks, Der Spiegel, or a Portuguese hacker, which could potentially be part of the club’s defence that the evidence is not credible.

In the past, Manchester City have been investigated by UEFA and insisted that they have not violated any rules and they will no doubt do the same here.

In 2020, UEFA banned the club from European competition for two seasons and fined them €30 million. Manchester City appealed the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

The ban was successfully lifted and the fine was decreased to €10 million (£8.9 million). The hearing panel determined that most of the alleged violations were not proven or had passed the statute of limitations.

But that will also not be applicable in the current case against City, as the Premier League rules do not care when the alleged offence took place.

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