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Lawyer wants Man City fans to help fight Financial Fair Play
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Lawyer wants Man City fans to help fight Financial Fair Play
by blueboy Fri Sep 05, 2014 3:19 am
Jean-Louis Dupont is hoping to take on UEFA over their attempts to control spending, and is calling for backing from Blues.
The lawyer taking on Uefa over their financial fair play rules has invited City fans to join his fight.The reality of the Blues’ punishment under the rules hit home this week when the club had to submit its reduced squad for this season’s Champions League tournament.
And the club also could not have competed with their rivals’ major sending in the summer transfer window, if they had so desired, due to a cap of £49million net spending.
Blues fans have been outraged at the punishments imposed on City under rules that were initially intended to prevent clubs living beyond their means, and prevent the kind of financial blow-out suffered by Rangers, Leeds and Portsmouth.
But the way the rules evolved, and were implemented, meant that instead of homing in on clubs risking their futures by spending money they do not have, they now focus on clubs who have received heavy outside investment.
Perversely, Leeds, Portsmouth and Rangers would all have remained untouched by the rules – and so would clubs like United, who have had debt stacked against them by owners who are seeking profit rather than promising investment.
Critics of financial fair play claim is anti-competitive, as it seeks to ensure that Europe’s current financial elite cannot be challenged by clubs who have benevolent owners.
In other words, they stop City- and Chelsea-style investment rather than irresponsible spending
Uefa say they have consistently been supported by the European Union, but that is about to be challenged by Belgian lawyer Jean-Louis Dupont.
He is the man who turned football upside down by helping football Jean-Marc Bosman win the right to leave his club on a free transfer at the end of his contract.
Now he is taking on FFP, initially by representing Italian agent in a legal challenge – and has already been joined in his campaign by fans of City and other clubs affected by the challenge.
Said Dupont: “If some fans, as consumers of the end product of football, want to join the action in progress they are free to do so. That would hearten undoubtedly supporters who have already joined by the legal process.
“The UEFA rule is, in terms of European competition law, an anticompetitive agreement since it prohibits a club owner to invest his or her own money in strengthening its workforce, the players.
“It is therefore a restriction of investments, which is deemed to be a major ‘crime’ in competition law.
“This has the effect, on the one hand, to fossilise the current position of clubs - it is not possible any more for an average club to be bought by an ambitious investor who, having taken a financial risk for a few years, enables it to become a club at a higher level - and thus ensure that the existing elite become the elite ad infinitum.”
A Brussels court will deliver its initial decision in April, 2015, and that will be an indication whether European courts will deem FFP to go against the law.
City have played down the effect of their punishment, as they always intended to reach the point where they can break even – and indeed, expect to do so this year.
Their net spend this summer was about £1.5million, a long way short of Uefa’s cap.
But they were forced to hand in a reduced squad of 21 players, while other clubs have registered the usual 25-man parties.
The sale of Alvaro Negredo on deadline day can also be linked to the punishment – it became clear that the Spain striker was likely to be the player forced out of the squad by the reduction from 17 overseas players to 16.
Negredo expressed his desire to leave when Valencia made a £23.9million offer for him, and that was partly down to the knowledge that he would be excluded from the elite competition, at least for the group stages.
The Blues are confident that the record £49million fine imposed will end up being reduced to £16million as two-thirds of it is suspended and will only be imposed if they stay within spending limits.
But some City fans are concerned that FFP has had hit them directly – by forcing up ticket prices at the Etihad Stadium.
The club has hiked prices by up to ten per cent this season, and that can be seen as a consequence of Uefa’s dictat that they have to live within their means.
The club has slashed the wage bill and curtailed spending, but needs to maximise revenue in order to stay competitive – and the fans are paying part of that price.
Fans wanting to know more can visit the fans’ website at fairplayfc.org or join their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/fairplayforfans
blueboy- Legend
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Re: Lawyer wants Man City fans to help fight Financial Fair Play
by Topdawg Fri Sep 05, 2014 4:12 am
City won't join in with this because they would only piss UEFA off who would respond unreasonably.
UEFA should sod off saying that they have been supported by the EU since City were always in conversation with UEFA and UEFA stiffed us.
UEFA should sod off saying that they have been supported by the EU since City were always in conversation with UEFA and UEFA stiffed us.
Topdawg- Legend
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Re: Lawyer wants Man City fans to help fight Financial Fair Play
by blueboy Fri Sep 05, 2014 4:23 am
Topdawg wrote:City won't join in with this because they would only piss UEFA off who would respond unreasonably.
UEFA should sod off saying that they have been supported by the EU since City were always in conversation with UEFA and UEFA stiffed us.
I hope we do...bollocks to Platini and his cronies getting away with what they like.
Remember, he'll be leaving in the next few years to be head of FIFA...and we'll end up with David Gill as head of UEFA, and then we're truly fooked.
Even if they are pissed off, what more can they possibly do to us when we will be debt and loss free by the end of this year, unlike some other clubs.
blueboy- Legend
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Re: Lawyer wants Man City fans to help fight Financial Fair Play
by Topdawg Fri Sep 05, 2014 4:28 am
They'll find a way. They have done it once already. I think the punishment was just enough for other clubs to be satisfied and not enough for us to take them to court over it.
Our board will just let this pass. They won't get involved.
Our board will just let this pass. They won't get involved.
Topdawg- Legend
- Posts : 26189
Re: Lawyer wants Man City fans to help fight Financial Fair Play
by leopold Fri Sep 05, 2014 4:30 am
If we break even this year, or even make a profit, then we benefit from the ruling that has seen Chelsea get away with massive spending for the last couple of seasons. This is why we've kept the net spend down and renegotiated wages - we claw back that £50m we had hidden last season and we genuinely break even. Then we can use that ruling. And if UEFA stiff us again, we use Chelsea as the test case.
That's mainly why I'm glad we did what we did, even with Nedge. It's a plan for the future. Once we're in and covered for three years with a mild profit, we can spend for fun, build up a ridiculous squad, sell container-loads of shirts to the far east and the USA and we're good.
And as for the ticket prices, my ST has gone up every year. So does my electric bill, my food bill, filling my car with diesel... it's all part of the joy of inflation, sadly...
That's mainly why I'm glad we did what we did, even with Nedge. It's a plan for the future. Once we're in and covered for three years with a mild profit, we can spend for fun, build up a ridiculous squad, sell container-loads of shirts to the far east and the USA and we're good.
And as for the ticket prices, my ST has gone up every year. So does my electric bill, my food bill, filling my car with diesel... it's all part of the joy of inflation, sadly...
leopold- The Boss
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Re: Lawyer wants Man City fans to help fight Financial Fair Play
by blueboy Fri Sep 05, 2014 5:33 am
Fair points Leo.
Still, if it's illegal, it's illegal under EU law.
We know our owner doesn't want bad publicity, so I agree, they won't challenge it, but will probably wait for others to challenge it.
Still, if it's illegal, it's illegal under EU law.
We know our owner doesn't want bad publicity, so I agree, they won't challenge it, but will probably wait for others to challenge it.
blueboy- Legend
- Posts : 25330
Re: Lawyer wants Man City fans to help fight Financial Fair Play
by shakencity Fri Sep 05, 2014 5:35 am
blueboy wrote:We know our owner doesn't want bad publicity, so I agree, they won't challenge it, but will probably wait for others to challenge it.
Agree wholeheartedly.
shakencity- Cult Hero
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Age : 53
Location : Bury
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