Manchester City could be relegated due to FFP charges, but the Premier League has been warned it risks killing the transfer market and its brand.
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Everton already docked 10 pointsNervous wait for other clubsRule change set to be announcedWHAT HAPPENED?
The reigning champions of England and Europe have a case to answer on the Financial Fair Play front. They have 115 charges hanging over their head, dating back to 2009, and have seen various punishments speculated on – including a big fine, points deductions and removal from the English top-flight.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT DUNNE SAID ABOUT MAN CITY & FFP
Former City captain Richard Dunne, speaking in association with , has told GOAL when asked what sanctions will be handed out to the 2022-23 Treble winners: “It’s so difficult to know. If the Premier League had just come out and got the case over and done with, then we can all know. To try and guess… Nobody would have thought that Everton would get deducted 10 points for what they did. If you go off that and look at Man City and think if each charge counts, then goodnight almost. They have been very strong in their wording, City, that they don’t feel like they are guilty. It’s down to the Premier League to prove that they are. If they do prove it, then you would expect there to be a massive points deduction – whether that results in relegation is another issue. There’s no benefit to the Premier League in losing a club the size of Man City, it’s not benefiting the Premier League in losing a club like Everton, so it’s something to be very careful about. The rules are becoming outdated because of inflation and all that stuff.”
DID YOU KNOW?
The Premier League is dealing with a mess of its own making, with Everton being punished – while also being hit with a second charge alongside Nottingham Forest – while the likes of City and Chelsea have continued to spend. Teams in the top tier need to splash out in order to compete and the general consensus is that rule changes reported to be in the pipeline are long overdue.
GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Dunne added on why current FFP rules are doing more harm than good, with the potential there for the Premier League to lose its standing as the leading division in world football: “It’s crazy. One player costs £100 million now, so it’s near impossible. You are going to kill the transfer market. I understand the rules and the need for them, but they need to be looked at and maybe larger sums of money need to be involved. It’s very difficult for all of the clubs to survive. It’s taken some of the pleasure away for fans. Fans want to see big transfer windows when players are moving left, right and centre, and that seems to have gone. If the clubs start losing points because of it and getting relegations, it just becomes difficult if they are not going to deal with the situations as they arise. This one with Man City has been going on for years now, and will carry on. I know the date is set for next year, but that might carry on again for another couple of years. It’s a historical issue, but the current club gets demoted – different players, different manager, different set of people around the club. The FA need to come out and sort it out quicker, rather than dwell on things for so long.”
