UEFA Changing Angle Of Attack With Revised Fair Play Rules

UEFA is expected to adopt an overhaul of the Financial Fair Play (FFP) system introduced in 2010 to stop clubs piling up debts in their pursuit of trophies.

With many clubs reeling from the financial fallout of the pandemic and competitive inequality growing despite existing fair play rules, UEFA will on Thursday unveil changes in its tactics for levelling European football's economic playing field. After months of discussions, UEFA is expected to adopt an overhaul of the Financial Fair Play (FFP) system introduced in 2010 to stop clubs piling up debts in their pursuit of trophies. The focus will change from requiring clubs to balance their books to curbing spending on salaries, transfer fees and agent commissions.

The change of approach could make clubs more attractive to potential investors by putting a fixed limit on costs, Raffaele Poli, head of the CIES soccer observatory in Neuchatel, told AFP.

"You can inject new money, but you mustn't burn it all in recruitment and salaries," he said.

"Even the big clubs are victims of this salary inflation, while feeding it."

In 12 years, FFP has persuaded many clubs to clean up their accounts, but its limitations have become clear.