Man City were hammered by FFP rules - now UEFA plan to ease them
14:01, 18 May 2015
By Stuart Brennan
Manchester City will see a proposed relaxation of controversial regulations as a mixed blessing after this season's punishment.
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ALL SMILES: UEFA president Michel Platini
Michel Platini is set to relax FFP rules
UEFA will consider plans to relax financial fair play rules - after clobbering Manchester City last season!
The Blues are keeping quiet their views on the European governing body’s machinations, after the latest raft of clubs received fines which were a fraction of the 60million euros penalty imposed on the Blues, and Paris St Germain last year.
Inter Milan, Roma, Sporting Lisbon and Besiktas were among ten clubs hit with fines, squad limits and a transfer spending cap recently.
Man City opinion: Blues got clobbered by FFP while others get off lightly in Uefa crackdown
None of them was punished as severely as City and PSG last season - both clubs have complied this season.
City are sure to have mixed feelings about the possible easing of the FFP rules, which president Michel Platini says will be debated by Uefa’s executive committee next month.
While they are bound to feel victimised, along with PSG, it could also bring increased spending power as they seek to re-structure their squad this summer.
The change of heart seems to have been brought about by Uefa's concern over various legal challenges to the financial fair play rules, which some believe contravene EU competition rules by denying clubs outside investment.
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One of those challenges is being conducted by Belgian lawyer Jean-Louis Dupont, who changed the face of football by helping to effect the Bosman ruling on the movement of players.
It is also believed that many members of the European Club Association are uneasy, as the Premier League's £5.1billion TV rights deal will leave them unable to match English clubs' spending.
“I think the regulations that have been made are fine, but FFP was voted in by the clubs,” Platini said.
“The French press have questioned it since Roman Abramovich at Chelsea can buy players while in France they cannot.
“Today in France they want another system, but if Qatar had bought AC Milan they would want stricter enforcement. As it is, the Italians also say they want a lighter FFP.
“I understand that we are in a world of false bottoms, but we say this openly. I think we’ll lighten things up.”