UEFA have made the call to relax their Financial Fair Player (FFP) regulations, as a way to help clubs that may be struggle to survive the COVID-19 pandemic.
This was exclusively revealed by The Athletic – you can read their report on it, in full, here – which reaffirms the guidelines UEFA set in place to stop over-spending and claims this move may ‘help clubs survive’.
With a view to stop the mega-rich simply buying every star player on the planet, there is a strict limit on the amount of money owners can pump into their clubs. That being said, there aren’t any restrictions on how much can be invested in aspects such as the club’s academy, stadium, women’s team and community work.
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused the mass suspension of football in Europe, UEFA have had meetings and decided any extra financial support which clubs receive from owners over the next few months won’t be treated as severely.
“Any extraordinary event or circumstances beyond the control of the club that are considered a case of force majeure are taken into account as part of the club’s assessment, on a case-by-case basis,” a UEFA spokesperson told The Athletic.
We think this is an excellent move from European football’s governing body, as some clubs will feel the burden of the current postponement more than others.
The like of Liverpool won’t be damaged by the financial side-effects of the current pandemic, but clubs further down the ladder will – and even though this slacking of the regulations is vague, it could save some.