Though UEFA brainchild Financial Fair Play has been in the business for quite some time now, most of the sides that come under its vicinity do not yet understand its real implication, in fact, most of the European sides have a feeling they cannot simply spend unaccounted money on players or in other words it is a UEFA measure to avoid them incur heavy loss. This is correct to some extent but not entirely. FFPs were enacted by the European governing body back in 2009 and it was only last year they imposed first sanction over sides violating its norms and coincidently sides that found deviating its rules are some of the biggest hence President Platini had to only warn them. Now, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has come out openly in support of confusion these rules have prevailed among clubs and said his degree of Economics seems insufficient to understand him the complete details of the financial control measures. This is a fact now that English side Manchester United and German powerhouse Paris Saint Germain are the first two big clubs who faced heavy fines from the European watchdog.
To avoid Gunners ever come under its limit Wenger asks UEFA to clarify it more generally so everyone could understand its requirement and how to abide by them without having any need of a financial degree. He said, “It depends what you call Financial Fair Play as that notion has changed. Is it just your income created by the gates? Is it the gates and commercial? Is it only the gates and the television? Is it naming rights as well?
“It is not clear to people what Financial Fair Play means, the rules are very complicated. We are a popular sport, so you want to clear and simple rules for everybody to understand. If I ask 10 people in the street today and then if you ask me, and I am in the job, I don’t have a clear idea anymore of what it means.”
Though Gunners already have a good balance sheet after extending Emirates Stadium seating capacity hence its owners are as well happy they did not need to invest further to hike the buying power of their side. Wenger added, “The Financial Fair Play rules have to be respected by everybody and if one club respected always the Financial Fair Play, and you can underline always, it is Arsenal, then we do not have to talk about that.”