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Since it was formed in 2010, Financial Fair Play (FFP) has shaped how football clubs operate. No longer are they permitted to spend as freely as they please, as governing bodies such as UEFA and the Premier League seek to prevent clubs from going under through financial mismanagement.
But how does it really all work? How are clubs getting into trouble and what are the potential sanctions available to be handed out to those who break the rules? These are just some of the questions Football FanCast will look to answer as FFP scandals threaten to dominate conversation once again.
After breaching the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability (PSR) rules, Everton were hit with an initial ten-point deduction earlier in the season, which was later reduced to six. They've since been hit with a further two-point penalty to make matters worse.
Top-flight rivals Nottingham Forest were given a four-point deduction in March, plunging the Reds into the Premier League relegation zone below Luton Town.
Manchester City, Chelsea and Leicester City are just some of the other clubs sweating over their own potential misdemeanours as the authorities come down hard on those operating outside of their means.
FFP came into effect from UEFA in the early 2010s, seeking to ensure that clubs participating in their competitions were operating in a fair way – in other words, not spending more than they were making. This sought to enable the safeguarding of the game’s integrity whilst also protecting clubs from falling into financial ruin.
The general idea was that clubs had to break even over a three-year period. Depending on where the money comes from, UEFA does allow some extra spending (clubs can accrue losses of as high as €30m – £25.7m), but there are strict limitations in place in order to stop teams from spending millions upon millions without consequence.
That said, UEFA are big on investing in the future. Spending on things like infrastructure and youth development is not factored into any accumulated losses. However, extravagant spending on players will be something the authorities have a keen eye on.
The Premier League installed its own FFP guidelines, known as Profit and Sustainability Rules, back in 2015/16. They follow the same premise as UEFA’s guidelines, but the parameters differ quite wildly.
For instance, clubs can make losses of £105m over a three-year period. Clubs also have to declare their financial results each year to show that they are, or will be able to, balance the books.
However, if it is deemed that any club has broken the rules, they are referred to an independent commission, which will decide their fate.
|
FFP investigations this season – Premier League |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Club |
Date charged |
Punishment |
|
Everton |
March 2023 |
Ten-point deduction (reduced to six on appeal) |
|
Nottingham Forest |
January 2024 |
Four-point deduction (subject to appeal) |
|
Everton |
January 2024 |
Two-point deduction (subject to appeal) |
|
Chelsea |
n/a |
Investigation ongoing |
|
Manchester City |
February 2023 |
Investigation ongoing |
|
Leicester City |
March 2024 |
Referred to independent commission |
The variety of sanctions available depends on the governing body in charge. In the past, UEFA has issued warnings, fines and limited squad sizes of teams playing in European competitions, as well as expelling them altogether.
Most recently, financial irregularities at Juventus saw the Bianconeri thrown out of the Europa Conference League, along with the receipt of fines totalling north of £20m.
Serie A rivals Milan entered trouble ahead of the 2019/20 campaign after they were banned from the Europa League following an FFP breach, which saw them fail to break even over successive three-year periods.
They had previously successfully appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against a similar decision the year before, with the San Siro giants let off on the basis of their punishment not being proportionate.
In the Premier League, last summer saw Chelsea and Manchester United among the clubs sanctioned by UEFA, with both teams facing hefty fines.
United were punished for a “minor” FFP breach in July, with UEFA handing the Red Devils a €300k (£257k) fine owing to what appears to be a miscalculation of losses between 2019 and 2022, a period significantly impacted by the pandemic.
Later that month, Chelsea were hit with an eye-watering €10m (£8.6m) fine due to “submitting incomplete financial information” between 2012 and 2019 – which means this was not at all related, perhaps somewhat ominously, to their extravagant spending since the arrival of Todd Boehly at Stamford Bridge.
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Everton were the first club to be officially sanctioned by the league’s financial PSR rules, resulting in a ten-point deduction back in November, having been referred to an independent commission in March 2023.
In February, the Toffees' penalty was reduced to six points, handing Sean Dyche's men a partial reprieve in their fight against relegation. While their initial deduction had Everton down in 17th and just a point above the drop zone, their partly successful appeal against the PSR ruling placed them in 15th at the time, five points clear of danger. This was just as well given the Merseysiders were also winless in nine Premier League games.
This January, the Premier League confirmed that both Everton and Nottingham Forest had been in a separate breach of the regulations for the period which ended last season. The Toffees were then handed a further two-point deduction, taking their total to eight – though the club has stated that it will appeal this latest decision.
Nottingham Forest were given a four-point penalty after being referred to an independent commission over possible PSR breaches. It was concluded that over the three-year period ending in 2022/23, the club's losses exceeded that of the amount allowed.
According to The Athletic, Forest could have been fined for this breach, though it was decided that, subject to appeal, the club would be docked four points. Unlike Everton, the decision dropped Forest into the relegation zone with just nine games remaining. In terms of their potential appeal, their case was due to be heard by 15th April, but a date now has been set for the week commencing 22nd April.
Chelsea are also being investigated by the Premier League. As far as the Blues are concerned, they have not been formally charged, though the Premier League’s chief executive, Richard Masters, confirmed they were “looking into” the club’s accounts back in August after the Stamford Bridge outfit reported themselves soon after their takeover, while Masters recently told a parliamentary committee that this investigation was still ongoing.
It recently emerged that the Blues' accounts showed they have managed to keep their heads above water through the sales of players, and perhaps more bizarrely, hotels, which are now the property of the club's owners.
Manchester City threatens to become the highest-profile case of the lot, with the Premier League charging the champions with over 100 breaches of its financial regulations. Masters claimed that a date has been set regarding the case, but stopped short of providing further details.
It is thought that given the nature of the accusations – the charges were the culmination of a four-year investigation in which City were labelled uncooperative – it is expected the matter will drag on before a punishment is handed out. When this first broke in February 2023, the BBC reported that this is “uncharted territory” in terms of what could befall the Citizens should they be found guilty.
In March 2024, Leicester became the latest club to be punished over an alleged breach of PSR rules. Although currently playing in the Championship, the charges relate to a failure to submit their accounts for the 2022/23 campaign, the season they were relegated.
In early April, the club announced losses of nearly £90m in 2022/23, taking their overall losses over the last three years to £215m – over £100m more than what is allowed under the Premier League's rules.
While the EFL confirmed that the Foxes would not be facing a points deduction this season, that remains a possibility heading into next year, when they could well be a Premier League club once again.
To make matters worse, Leicester are also under investigation by the EFL under a separate charge, leaving them with a transfer embargo and at risk of being deducted more points.
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Aston Villa stand set to lose one of their highest earners this summer, it has emerged, with a departure looking increasingly likely.
After posting losses of almost £120m earlier in the season, there is plenty of speculation about what might happen at Villa Park this summer. Unai Emery's side have enjoyed an excellent campaign and could yet breach their highest-ever Premier League points total, while they are in the semi-finals of the Conference League too.
Though Champions League football next season will certainly provide a financial boost, there remains speculation that the club may have to part ways with one of their stars, with Douglas Luiz seemingly the most likely candidate for departure.
However, they will be desperate not to lose the Brazilian after a fine season. Other solutions may need to be found then, and one such decision appears to have already been made ahead of the summer window.
Now, it has emerged that Clement Lenglet is set to return to Barcelona after his loan spell at Villa Park is over, with the Frenchman not having done enough to convince the powers that be at Villa Park to make a permanent move for him.
After spending last season on loan with Tottenham, Lenglet was added to Emery's squad over the summer, but has rarely been used by the Villa boss.
|
Aston Villa's defensive options |
|
|
Player |
Premier League starts 23/24 |
|
Clement Lenglet |
13 |
|
Diego Carlos |
17 |
|
Pau Torres |
25 |
|
Ezri Konsa |
32 |
|
Calum Chambers |
0 |
|
Tyrone Mings |
1 |
The 28-year-old has started just 13 Premier League games this season, and has not seen a minute of action in any of the last four Premier League games. Now, Sport Witness report that his future lies away from the Midlands club, with Villa not keen on pursuing a deal for the defender. Meanwhile, Barcelona are also keen to be rid of him, with Lenglet still having two years to run on his £150,000 per week deal at Camp Nou.
Villa's decision not to sign him permanently comes despite Emery singing the Frenchman's praises earlier in the campaign: “I am very happy with him.
"His commitment in every training session is amazing. He is a very good professional and always ready to play. The last matches he was sick, he was with us in Zrinjski. He was better at Brentford but still a little bit sick."
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Meanwhile the Spaniard has already battled to keep Lenglet once amid speculation that his loan from Barcelona would be cut short in January.
“I want to keep him because we need players for the challenges we are going to face this season”, the Villa boss explained.
Clearly, with better options potentially available this summer, Villa are keen to head in a different direction to strengthen their side ahead of the new season.
Wolverhampton Wanderers are ending their Premier League season with a whimper as they lost for the fourth time in their previous five top-flight matches.
The latest defeat looks to have ended any ambitions of securing a top-half finish during Gary O’Neil’s debut season in charge, but there have been plenty of positives.
Not only did the manager finally get the club firing in front of goal, finding the back of the net 50 times with one game to play, 19 more than last season, O’Neil has also built a solid core to his squad which he will be hoping to retain ahead of next season.
Could he be about to add to it in the coming weeks? One transfer target looks set to become available on a free transfer in a month…
During his pre-match press conference last week, O’Neil discussed Wolves’ current situation concerning the summer transfer window.
“I don’t think there will be money available to us if nobody leaves,” said the manager.
“If we decided not to sell a big player there may be some bits and pieces we can do. We have some players out on loan that have value and we might be able to do some bits. The club is expected – in the foreseeable future, maybe not long-term future – to be able to fund itself so we need to be able to work with that.
“Of course these things can change so I’m not committing either way, but I wouldn’t expect it to be a summer where we spend millions of the club’s own money on players.”
As such, this particular target would fit the brief perfectly.
According to TEAMtalk, West Ham Untied have prepared a final contract offer to present to Ben Johnson with the hopes that he will remain at the club beyond this summer.
The report goes on to state that the defender looks set to snub an offer as he seeks to leave West Ham and become a free agent.
Everton, Crystal Palace, Leeds United and Rangers are all showing interest in the Englishman ahead of potentially making a move, but Wolves are a team who are also on the list.
Johnson has plenty of Premier League experience yet has failed to become a regular in the West Ham side this campaign.
That said, he could be an interesting replacement or competitor for Nelson Semedo.
The right-back only has one year left on his current contract at Molineux, which means this summer represents the last proper chance for O’Neil to sell him in order to recoup a decent transfer fee.
The manager said he was “desperate to keep” Semedo at the Old Gold for the foreseeable last week, but moving him on while signing Johnson on a free transfer could potentially be the best thing from a financial point of view.
The defender has started 35 Premier League matches this term yet has created only two big chances while averaging just 0.7 key passes per game.
|
Nelson Semedo: 2023/24 Premier League |
|
|---|---|
|
Assists |
1 |
|
Key passes per game |
0.7 |
|
Big chances created |
2 |
|
Successful dribbles per game |
1.5 |
|
Possession lost per game |
14.3 |
|
Via Sofascore |
|
He has succeeded with 1.5 dribbles per game – a success rate of 64% – but having registered just one assist in the top flight, this ability to beat his opponent out wide has certainly come in vain.
Defensively, the Portuguese defender has lost possession 14.3 times on average, while winning just 44% of his aerial duels, suggesting that helping his side when they don’t have the ball isn’t exactly his strong suit.
Semedo is a reliable option to have in the squad, but Johnson could certainly shine for Wolves if given the chance, especially judging by his statistics from his time on the pitch during the current campaign.
The 24-year-old has been forced to play a peripheral role at West Ham during 2023/24, starting just seven matches this season in all competitions, featuring 22 times in total with David Moyes having preferred Vladimir Coufal at right-back.
Stuart Pearce dubbed Johnson “a wonderful professional to deal with and work with” back in 2021, but it is looking increasingly likely that he will be leaving the club when his current deal expires.
Despite not playing that often in the league this term, the Englishman has still managed to showcase his abilities by recovering 3.5 balls, winning 2.6 total duels and succeeding with 0.8 dribbles, all per game, all while averaging just 39 minutes per game.
Not only that, but the defender ranks highly in a few metrics when compared to his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues.
According to FBref, Johnson currently ranks in the top 12% for successful take-ons per 90 (1.47), the top 14% for aerials won per 90 (1.47) and the top 20% for total shots per 90 (0.98) over the previous 365 days, giving glimpses of his attributes.
While Semedo ranks slightly higher for successful take-ons per 90 (1.51), the Wolves man ranks in the bottom 30% for aerial duels won per 90 (0.65) and the bottom 61% for total shots per 90 (0.54), giving Johnson the edge with regard to these performance metrics.
Much will depend on whether there is serious interest in the former Barcelona defender this summer for O’Neil to consider selling but if a decent offer comes in, it could prove to be fairly difficult to turn down, especially as it looks like he will need to move a few players out before signing anyone for a transfer fee.
Luring someone like Johnson to the Midlands would not only allow the manager to strengthen his team but to do it without splashing a single penny on a transfer fee.
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Aston Villa have had one of the most impressive seasons in the Premier League in recent years. After being a consistent top-four challenger all season under Unai Emery, they finally had Champions League football confirmed after Tottenham lost 2-0 at home to Manchester City on Tuesday night.
Villa are currently on 68 points, although they could end on 71 if they win their final game of the season, which is away to the in-form Crystal Palace. That will be their second-highest points tally in the Premier League, just falling short of the 74 they got in 1992/93 when they finished second in the table, behind Manchester United.
At home, Villa have been formidable, winning 12 of their 19 games at Villa Park, scoring 48 goals and winning an impressive 40 points. That is bettered only by Liverpool with 45, Arsenal and City, who both have 44 points, according to Understat.
It has certainly been a phenomenal season for Villa, who will be hoping to build on their successes of this season by getting a top-four spot once more in 2024/25 and making a good account of themselves amongst Europe’s elite in the Champions League.
With that in mind, it will be the case that Villa look to strengthen their squad next season. They have already been linked with a whole host of players, including one current Premier League star.
The player in question here is Arsenal and England attacking midfielder Emile Smith Rowe. The 23-year-old has struggled for game time at the Emirates Stadium this season, and could well look to leave to play more regular football. He has managed just 453 minutes in all competitions for the Gunners this season, although has been unavailable for ten games due to injury.
According to The Mirror, Smith Rowe is one of “at least seven players” to have been made available for transfer this summer by Mikel Arteta and Co, a list which also includes the likes of Aaron Rasmdale and Eddie Nketiah.
Villa are one of two clubs to hold interest in signing Smith Rowe, with West Ham United the other side considering a deal, according to a report earlier this year from GIVEMESPORT. The Villans may well have the upper hand on that deal, due to their Champions League involvement next season.
He could well be available for around £30m which is a considerable way above his market value. As per Football Observatory, Smith Rowe is valued at just £8.5m ahead of the 2024 summer window.
Bringing in the Arsenal man could end the hunt for the long-overdue replacement for Jack Grealish, three years after his £100m move from Villa Park to the Etihad Stadium and Manchester City.
It certainly feels like the versatile attacker could fill the void Manchester City’s number 10 left when he departed Aston Villa. The similarities between Smith Rowe and Grealish are noticeable.
Former Villa striker Tony Cascarino compared the two back in 2021 on talkSPORT, explaining that Smith Rowe has “this amazing ability of rolling players”, before going on to explain how “Jack Grealish does that really well”. He is excellent at drawing fouls and carrying the ball over long distances, just like Villa's former skipper.
Indeed, Smith Rowe’s close control and his ability to create space for himself in tight situations is one of his very best attributes. His former manager from his loan spell at Huddersfield Town, Danny Cowley, believes the 23-year-old is so good he "could find space in a telephone box."
In fact, Smith Rowe and Grealish’s statistics stack up very closely when comparing, the Arsenal man’s impressive 2021/22 season.
As per Fbref, Smith Rowe averaged 3.05 progressive carries and 2.07 carries into the final third per 90 minutes. Comparatively, Grealish averages 7.77 progressive carries and 4.11 carries into the final third per 90 minutes this season. That's a pretty big difference, although it does suggest they both like to carry the ball at their feet.
However, the Arsenal outcast averaged more passes into the final third with 1.92 per 90 minutes compared to Grealish’s 1.34 this season, and just slightly less progressive passes per 90 minutes, with 3.99 compared to the City winger’s 4.46 per 90 minutes.
Interestingly, though, the ten goals that Smith Rowe scored in 2021/22 is a better output than any of Grealish’s Premier League seasons so far. The England international’s best tally is eight goals in 2019/20 for Villa.
|
Smith Rowe's 2021/22 Premier League season by numbers |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Apps |
33 |
|
|
Minutes |
1,920 |
|
|
Goals |
10 |
|
|
Assists |
2 |
|
|
Stats from Transfermarkt |
||
Both stylistically, and statistically, Grealish and Smith Rowe are very similar footballers. Operating as one of the false wingers under Unai Emery, the manager who gave him his debut, could see Smith Rowe thrive once again in professional football.
The England international would thrive in that role in the half-space behind Ollie Watkins, feeding Villa’s centre-forward with passes and being able to carry the ball in central areas, where he does his best work.
Dubbed “the Croyden De Bruyne” over the years by Arsenal fans, there is little doubt of Smith Rowe’s quality. Perhaps a move to Villa can help him rediscover his best form at the highest level, and fill the void left by Grealish a few years ago.
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Crystal Palace’s squad is absolutely stacked with quality, and the players are now being handed the freedom to truly showcase their ability week in, week out.
However, there’s one player above all who’s starred this season despite missing 18 games through injury, and that gem is Michael Olise.
The tricky French winger has taken his performances to a whole new level this campaign, scoring ten goals and providing five assists in just 13 starts.
Those statistics are without doubt remarkable, and Olise’s value to the team is almost priceless, but there’s one individual who’s reported to be worth much more than the 22-year-old.
Under the reign of Roy Hodgson this season, it’s fair to say that it was a completely uninspiring time to be a Palace fan.
Results were increasingly becoming a huge issue, while the performances actually grew to be even more frustrating than the outcome, with the team scoring just 1.12 goals per game on average.
Leading up to the departure of the 76-year-old, Palace had won just twice in 15 matches across all competitions, the sort of form that would put any club’s Premier League status on the line.
Luckily, just like Steve Parish’s recruitment of players, he seems to have hit the jackpot on Hodgson’s replacement, with Oliver Glasner completely changing the culture at the club.
Since arriving in February, the former Eintracht Frankfurt boss has been absolutely instrumental, installing his philosophy and approach into the team extremely quickly.
The “incredible” coach, as dubbed by journalist Stefan Bienkowski, has certainly lived up to that description since joining the Premier League.
The Eagles are now boasting a goal-per-game average of 1.7, and they’ve won six of their 12 games with Glasner in charge, the same amount as Hodgson in 24 matches.
Furthermore, there’s no better evidence of Glasner’s influence on the side than the transformation of Jean-Phillipe Mateta, who’s now scored 13 Premier League goals this season, netting ten of those under the Austrian.
|
Crystal Palace's Record Sales |
|
|---|---|
|
Player |
Fee |
|
Aaron Wan-Bissaka |
£47m |
|
Yannick Bolasie |
£25m |
|
Alexander Sorloth |
£17m |
|
Dwight Gayle |
£10m |
|
Wilfried Zaha |
£10m |
|
Via Transfermarkt |
|
As a result of his impact, Glasner has become by far the highest-valued person at the club, after German outlet Bild reported that Palace have slapped an £86m asking price on his name after a recent approach from Bayern Munich.
This now means that the 49-year-old is worth even more than Olise, and even Eberechi Eze, who are both reported to be valued at £60m by Palace, as per the BBC, which seemingly makes them the two most valuable players at the club.
It’s previously been reported by the Guardian that Glasner is contracted to Palace until 2026 with the option to extend for another year, while earning a salary of around £4.5m per season.
Given the asking price of Palace and the impact he’s already had on the club, that seems to be one of the bargains of the season, and if his side continue to perform, the Eagles should expect a few knocks on their door.
Therefore, despite the continuous talk regarding Eze and Olise bringing in a huge sum for their signatures, it could be the new boss that boosts the profits for Parish and co at Selhurst Park.
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