{"id":557903,"date":"2020-07-13T15:00:31","date_gmt":"2020-07-13T19:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonfootball.com\/?p=557903"},"modified":"2020-07-13T15:00:31","modified_gmt":"2020-07-13T19:00:31","slug":"uefa-director-of-communications-claims-financial-fair-play-should-be-rebuilt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2020\/07\/13\/uefa-director-of-communications-claims-financial-fair-play-should-be-rebuilt\/","title":{"rendered":"UEFA Director of Communications Claims Financial Fair Play ‘Should Be Rebuilt’"},"content":{"rendered":"

William Gaillard, the director of communications at UEFA, claims that the Financial Fair Play (FFP) system “should be rebuilt”. This follows the news this morning that Manchester City’s<\/a> two-year ban from Champions League football was overturned<\/a> by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).<\/p>\n

Financial Fair Play ‘Should Be Rebuilt’ Says UEFA’s Director of Communications<\/h2>\n

A Need for Competitive Balance<\/h3>\n

Gaillard’s role at UEFA sees him be the senior legal advisor to president Aleksander Ceferin, while also heading all of the external communication by European football’s governing body.<\/p>\n

Speaking via video link to SNTV, Gaillard, who had a role in building the original FFP system, now says it needs to be restructured.<\/p>\n

He said<\/a>: “I was involved in the construction of FFP. My point was we need competitive balance but the others disagreed.<\/p>\n

“I completely agree with Aleksander Ceferin. FFP should be rebuilt and focussed on competitive balance, just like the rules in the US, with luxury tax, or wealth tax, or salary caps.<\/p>\n

“That’s the only way to keep our game unpredictable, which is the main characteristic of any game. We need to look at very drastic measures or the game will degenerate.”<\/p>\n

Gaillard Worries for Future of Champions League<\/h3>\n

The ruling by the CAS means that City will be able to compete in the Champions League, and the fine for their wrongdoings has been reduced to \u20ac10 million.<\/p>\n

Gaillard, though, worries that the lenient punishment laid out could prompt the competition to be somewhat spoilt by the owners of mega-rich clubs.<\/p>\n

He said: “This type of sentence by CAS means Manchester City can receive billions from the Emirates and the whole contest will become basically a tournament in Europe between Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.<\/p>\n

“That’s really the enormous danger professional club football is facing in Europe.”<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Main Photo<\/p>\n

Embed from Getty Images<\/a>