La Liga's president has urged Uefa to investigate Manchester City over claims it has breached financial fair play rules.
Uefa last week launched a probe into Paris Saint-Germain’s big spending and now the Spanish league wants European football’s governing body to add the Manchester giants to its investigation. Both clubs have been sanctioned before over financial fair play regulations.
According to the BBC, however, Uefa is not investigating Manchester City despite reports. The Uefa statement said: “There is no investigation into Manchester City with regards to FFP regulations. Any reports mentioning such an investigation are unsubstantiated.”
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In a statement to the Associated Press, La Liga president Javier Tebas said that spending from state-funded clubs “is irreparably harming the football industry”. City are owned by Abu Dhabi while Qatar owns PSG.
Tebas claims City and PSG “benefit from sponsorships that make no economic sense and lack any fair value”. He said: “PSG and Man City’s funding by state aid distorts European competitions and creates an inflationary spiral that is irreparably harming the football industry.
“Uefa must enforce FFP regulations to avoid discrimination among clubs.”
This summer PSG broke the world transfer record by signing Neymar from Barcelona for €222million (£204m). They also added Monaco’s Kylian Mbappe on a season-long loan deal and will sign him next summer for a reported €180m (£165m). According to the AP report this deal is seen as unusual as it will delay PSG’s financial commitment to the deal.
City were Europe’s biggest spenders this summer with transfer outlays exceeding £220m. Defenders Kyle Walker from Tottenham and Benjamin Mendy from Monaco cost £100m alone.
According to Uefa's financial fair play rulings for the current three-year assessment period until 2018, clubs that play in European competitions can incur losses of €30m (£27.5m) and not just rely on money injected into the club by owners.
In his statement to Uefa, Tebas cited that sponsorship by state-backed companies helps City and PSG inflate their incomes.
City are sponsored by Abu Dhabi's state-owned Etihad Airways, the Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority, investment fund Aabar, communications firm Etisalat and First Gulf Bank.
Last season PSG were sponsored by seven Qatari firms: Ooredoo communications, Qatar National Bank, Aspire Academy, Aspetar hospital, Katara cultural project, broadcaster BeIN Sports and Qatar Tourism Authority.
