• Small print in UEFA FFP rule could affect Manchester City’s eligibility for the Champions League

  • Jose Mourinho accuses unnamed clubs of ‘dodgy FFP’

  • ‘Major clubs’ away of potential rights to appeal against those considered to have cheated their way to passing FFP test


By

Nick Harris




PUBLISHED:


22:30, 1 February 2014


|

UPDATED:


09:30, 2 February 2014


Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool could use UEFA small print to challenge Manchester City’s right to play in the Champions League next season.


The rules now effectively set up a scenario where rivals can claim City have cheated their way to passing UEFA’s ‘Financial Fair Play’ (FFP) test.


It is understood lawyers for a host of ‘major clubs’ are aware of these potential rights to make appeals — thanks to recently amended Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations — and are monitoring the situation closely.


VIDEO Scroll down to watch Jose Mourinho question the fairness of FFP



Expensive squad: But could Manchester City's big-spending ways cost them a Champions League place?


Expensive squad: But could Manchester City’s big-spending ways cost them a Champions League place?



On Saturday night Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, who faces City on Monday in the game of the season so far, accused some unnamed clubs of ‘dodgy FFP’.


He said: ‘There are clubs that are following exactly the project of Financial Fair Play and there are other clubs doing it in a dodgy way. For me, that is very clear. I don’t say the clubs — that is not my job.’


When asked specifically about City, and a potential UEFA investigation, he added: ‘It’s for Mr Platini and other people to analyse it, it’s not for me… I’m waiting for that.’








Financial force: Manchester City's spending power is among the greatest in football


Financial force: Manchester City’s spending power is among the greatest in football




'Dodgy FFP'? Jose Mourinho was critical, but he manages another expensive squad at Chelsea


‘Dodgy FFP’? Jose Mourinho was critical, but he manages another expensive squad at Chelsea



Concern? Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has a proven track record in the Champions League


Concern? Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has a proven track record in the Champions League




FFP rules compel clubs to limit losses for the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons combined to £37million, with a ban from European competitions the severest theoretical punishment. City last week announced losses for 2012-13 of £51.6m, meaning they have lost £149.5m over two years.


They can perhaps ‘exempt’ as much as £110m of those losses to meet FFP requirements. But they face accusations their losses are artificially low after earning cash from ‘intellectual property’ sales to related companies. UEFA sources have confirmed this will be investigated to see if it is ‘real’ income.


Amended small print in the 2014 UEFA FFP rulebook, just published, includes two key changes; one allowing clubs to ‘plea bargain’ punishments for overspending, and another that allows other clubs to challenge those plea bargains if they feel the outcomes negatively affect them.



Time to celebrate? Liverpool are one of the clubs not in a position to compete with City's financial muscle


Time to celebrate? Liverpool are one of the clubs not in a position to compete with City’s financial muscle



Title rivals: Arsenal could be another team to benefit if City are to face a form of punishment


Title rivals: Arsenal could be another team to benefit if City are to face a form of punishment



Money well spent: The signings of players like Sergio Aguero have turned City into a real force


Money well spent: The signings of players like Sergio Aguero have turned City into a real force




Comments (636)


Share what you think







The comments below have not been moderated.















Mike396,


Manchester, United Kingdom,


27 minutes ago


Someone has their facts wrong.City do not own the Etihad stadium.They actually rent the ground from Manchester council.















SSCNapoliCurvaA,


Bideford North Devon, United Kingdom,


43 minutes ago


The entire EPL is just controlled by oil money from these rich billionaire sugar daddy’s, Every Club is 1 man walking away from going bust and when it does it will be your own fault















The Master,


Manchester, United Kingdom,


43 minutes ago


Everton will be OK so whats the problem?















Anthony Perry,


Manhattan, United States,


55 minutes ago


The FFP makes me laugh, Platini and his clown ass goons will never surprise me with anything! What do you expect when you make laws and leave very wide loopholes? Whats the essence anyway?















The Judge,


LlanfairPG, United Kingdom,


56 minutes ago


Man City , more fiddles than the Halle Orchestra. Chelsea built from shall we say dodgy dough, and Man Utd built on the back of friends with whistles !!















Steven,


Barnsley,


1 hour ago


Just how many faces does the self appointed special one have ? All his success was managed on a shoe string budget, what an odious petty little man who loves the sound of his own voice, still while ever he is the media darling he will be given the forum to bang on and on and on.















Red reefer,


Bury, United Kingdom,


1 hour ago


I could not give a flying fig,what clubs spend…Its up to the owners…..But if the uefa and fifa want to do something about it,then put in a wage cap and limit the size of the teams squads…And knock the transfer windows on the head completely…


So lets start with each and every club in the world can only have 30 players in their team in all competitions

And if they want a player they have to sell one,and you can only call on your youth sides if one of your 30 players are injured for the season…And the transfer windows are kept open throughout the season…

They can only pay a maximum wage of lets say 150,000 a week if they want more they will have to look for another job working in Tesco’s part time..:)


I think that would be a fairer way of doing things…















steve,


liverpool merseyside,


1 hour ago


We (Chelsea) may have spent big in the past, but never as bad as the Mancs.


- Kristof, London, United Kingdom, 01/02/2014 23:50


Oh no? One player costs you £50m and only scores 19 goals in 99 games (thats £2.6m per goal, and 1 in 7 games!)















Christian,


Gateshead UK,


1 hour ago


We have a billionaire who runs the club as a club while city have a multi billionaire that allows 500 million on players and casually runs the club at a loss irrespective of contempt,undermining and respect for the game. There’s nothing meteoric about city’s rise to the top it’s blatant exuberance in fact city robbed its own city of Manchester when buying their stadium so maybe the multibillionaire should reimburse they city before casually ruining the came.














Mike396,


Manchester, United Kingdom,


31 minutes ago


Get your facts right,city do not own the ground,they rent it from Manchester council















Jimmy Scarecrow,


Ladywood,


16 minutes ago


Is Mike Ashley a Billionaire???? Blimey, maybe there’s money in nylon shirt sales!


















JonClem,


Middlesbrough, United Kingdom,


1 hour ago


They’re not city anymore, completely different club














Makaveli_The_Don,


Manchester, United Kingdom,


51 minutes ago


Sheikh Mansour FC as of 08′








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