By Andrew Warshaw in Manchester
March 30 – UEFA’s new financial fair play rules will be “killed” unless sanctions are applied properly against clubs who break the rules and all loopholes are closed off, Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre warned today.
Speaking at the Soccerex conference here, Ayre said he was worried that European football’s governing body would not be able to pinpoint clubs who transgress since there could be a myriad of ways of getting round the regulations.
Financial fair play comes into force in 2014 designed to stop clubs bankrolled by millionaire owners spending more than they earn.
Ultimately clubs who fall foul of the rules could be banned from European competition.
Stressing that Liverpool’s recent takeover had cleared most of their own debts, Ayre said he feared UEFA would not be able to properly police individual club losses.
“These rules should be hard and fast,” said Ayre.
“What will kill the initiative or certainly stifle it is people easing themselves into it.
“The rules should be clearly defined, you cannot have a half-rule process.
“We see it as a positive step but the reservations around it are the proof of the pudding being in the application, how it will be applied – will people be given grace periods, will the sanctions be applied?
“If it is not managed well and delivered well we would all question the outcome of it.”
UEFA’s head of club licensing Andrea Traverso said the rules would constitute “a kind of soft salary cap” and stressed that clubs’ finances would be rigorously overseen by an independent panel to make sure they are being applied fairly across Europe.
UEFA wants clubs to invest in youth development and infrastructure to stop rampant overspending and Traverso brushed aside concerns that rich club owners could simply write a big cheque and attribute the money to costs allowed by Uefa such as a new stand or other facilities — just to help balance the books.
He warned, for instance, that UEFA would be watching to ensure clubs could not get income boosts through sponsorship or stadium naming rights deals from companies they were already associated with.
Ayre though foresees potential problems.
“We are aiming to invest in a new stadium or an improved stadium,” he said.
“From our perspective that is a real concern because that’s something we are talking about to people right now.”
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