Recent news has been published about Lionel
Messi and the possibility he can leave the FC Barcelona. On the other side, the
Mourinho’s assistant, Steve Holland, has rejected the chance that the London
club is able to sign the Argentinian player. His comments were directly
pointing the Financial Fair Play rules as a main cause so shat signing could
not be made.
Related to these declarations, I would like to
shed light around this topic for those people who are not familiarized already
with these UEFA Rules which came into force in 2011 and as we can notice, they
play a more important role at the football European context.
The UEFA Regulation about the Financial Fair
Play just allows a deviation at the break-even point (incomes – expenditures)
of 5 million Euros, which does not to be covered. However, in the next season
(2015/2016), when apparently Messi could be transferred to another Club, the
Rules allow a deviation, in this case it should be covered, of 30 million Euros
(not 45 million as the previous seasons). And the balances of the seasons 2013,
2014 and 2015 will be the reference to stablish this amount.
To begin with, we should start from the basis
that the Clubs are fighting year by year, summer by summer to get to balance
their books and therefore respect this UEFA rule. For instance, a healthy and
successful Club as Bayern Munich, which in 2014 earned the amount of 533
million Euros, have had a profit of just 16.6 million Euros.
On the other side, the Sheffield Hallam
University’s economist, Rob Wilson, has commented to BBC that at this moment
“taking into account the incomes and the reserves, just Real Madrid and
Manchester United would be able to sign Messi”. Nevertheless, “they would
continue having problems to pay him his salary”. The Messi’s salary nowadays is
20 million Euros. In my opinion, it is complicate that Messi is willing to
reduce his wages or the FC Barcelona wants to negotiate a deal to transfer the
player. In any case, if FC Barcelona and
another Club agree an amount to transfer him lower than the release clause (250
million Euros) and/or a fractioned payment of the amount agreed, even in this
scenario, the most powerful Clubs in Europe would see themselves forced to buy
several stars to balance their books. Whether Bayern, Manchester City, PSG or
Chelsea want to sign the Argentinian Player, they could have financial troubles
and maybe with a team without Robben, nor Gotze; Silva, nor Toure; Ibrahimovic,
nor Verratti; or Hazard, nor Oscar; respectively.
Let’s suppose that one of those teams finally
signs Messi and they incur losses exceeding 30 million Euros. As disciplinary
measures, which we have could see applied against Manchester City and PSG, we
find, on the one hand, a warning, a reprimand, a fine and points deduction as
less harmful measures for the economy of the club. And on the other hand,
retention of income earned in UEFA competitions, prohibition of registration of
new players in UEFA competitions, as well as the restriction of players, the
match disqualification (current or future), including the removal of the title
or award; all as the most stringent disciplinary actions.
CONCLUSION
With the Financial Fair Play Rules we have seen
how a great number of Clubs (even powerful Clubs) have had to transfer players
with the purpose to sign other players, even though the economic power of their
owners, with enough money to carry out any kind of signing and moreover if the
name of the player is “Leo Messi” (4 Golden Ball’s winner). In this way, we
realise why Madrid and PSG did not close the deal for Di Maria, because of the
Parisian did not want to sell nobody. And we could see how Juan Mata and Kevin
De Bruyne left Chelsea.
Additionally, the Clubs have to deal with many
economic obligations, above all in relation with the salaries of their players
and the signings to improve the team. At this moment, my point of view is that
if Messi wants to change of scenery, it would be one of the most complex
operations in the football’s history and obviously the most expensive.
Another thing is that the FFP Rules could be an
antitrust agreement, banning the investment and restricting the Anti-trust
laws, and in addition could affect the free movement of capital and workers on
the EU perspective. In this respect, the European Commission rejected a claim
against the Financial Fair Play Rules.
Sources:
- BBC: “Lionel Messi: Who can afford to sign Barcelona striker?”
- IUSPORT: “El Chelsea descarta el fichaje de Lionel Messi (EFE)”.
- DAILY MAIL: "Bayern Munich’s latest financial results show they are now on a level with Manchester United and Real Madrid”.
- IUSPORT: “El Fair Play Financiero y el Affaire Di María-PSG” (Luis Torres).
- DELOITTE: Report “Football Money League”.
(This article was originally published in Spanish on IUSPRT.com on 10 January 2015).
