Platini Looks To Curb Club Spending

UEFA president Michel Platini has outlined his desire to introduce financial controls on top clubs following further inflation of the transfer market during the January window.

Speaking at a news briefing, Platini stated that a number of experts were examining proposals to help level the financial playing field for clubs in the Champions League and Europa League, the new brand name for the UEFA Cup from next season.

Referring to the failed bid for Kaka by Premier League club Manchester City, who became the world’s richest club after being taken over by the Abu Dhabi United Group last year, Platini said: ‘How one guy can cost €150m is ridiculous from a social, football and financial point of view.

‘If you want to buy a boat for 150m or a plane you can do that, but for a man? That is bad and that is why we have to do something, to create a more equal playing field.

‘I have a philosophy, shared by 99% of the football people in Europe that we have to do something about having transparency and fairness in the regulations.

‘I am listening to the experts about what we can do – but it is not easy because the rules of finance are not the same in Germany, or Italy or France.

‘But we have to do something because it is not good for football’s popularity. My philosophy is that in football there has to be the chance for everyone of one day winning something. For me, football is a game not a product.’

Platini will put forward proposals on financial controls in March at a meeting of UEFA’s Strategy Committee, which represents leagues, associations and players, but they will only affect European club competitions and not domestic leagues.

Proposals being touted include stopping clubs spending more than their revenue, limiting spending on wages to a fixed proportion of income and restricting squads to 25 players.

Platini added that clubs who do not abide by any new system of financial regulation put in place, could lose their places in UEFA competitions.