City FFP cash to go to Premier League rivals
MANCHESTER United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham are among the clubs set to benefit financially from Manchester City’s failure to comply with European financial fair play (FFP) rules.
City were found guilty of exceeding permitted losses for clubs in the Champions League and Europa League in May, and fined £50m – an amount that may be reduced to £20m if they step back in line. That cash is now set to find its way into the coffers of some of their biggest rivals after it was confirmed that revenue from FFP fines is to be redistributed among compliant clubs.
As the rules relate only to teams in European competitions, that means City’s neighbours United and competitors Chelsea, Arsenal and Spurs stand to receive a slice of the income from sanctions.
City were not the only club to be fined; French champions Paris Saint-Germain and Russian side Zenit St Petersburg were also hit and will contribute to the first £20m tranche to be redistributed.
The payments, which will also go to Swansea, Wigan, and more than 60 other clubs in the Champions League and Europa League, are worth around £200,000 per team.
European governing body Uefa is to discuss FFP rules, which were implemented for the first time this year, with leading clubs in October and expects to make further amendments to the controversial system.
“The framework for financial fair play must be dynamic, it must evolve constantly,” Uefa president Michel Platini said.
“We will see whether any imperfections can be ironed out.”