Wenger: Premier League Financial Fair Play Rules Must Be Changed, Clubs Like Manchester City Should Not Face Such Charges

This week, during BeIN Sports’ UEFA Champions League coverage, Arsenal’s legendary manager Arsène Wenger clearly stated that the Premier League’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules need to be reformed. He believes that clubs like Manchester City should not face 115 different charges.

Wenger said, “I think it is time to change the Premier League’s Financial Fair Play rules. The Premier League is facing competition from leagues that have already adjusted their FFP rules.”

The former Arsenal manager spoke out in support of Manchester City and added, “It is difficult to understand why a club like Manchester City would face 115 different charges in one season. I do not believe these charges; Manchester City is a shrewd and well-managed club. The Premier League has already lost a case that was more related to commercial activities.”

Wenger referred to the legal dispute between Manchester City and the Premier League over the Related Party Transactions (RPT) rules. Both sides claimed victory after the arbitration panel’s ruling was announced earlier this month. The arbitration supported some of Manchester City’s appeals, deeming two aspects of the RPT rules “illegal.” Manchester City claimed success in their legal action in their statement. However, the Premier League also welcomed the arbitration result, stating that the tribunal had dismissed most of Manchester City’s challenges and “recognized the overall objectives, framework, and decision-making process of the RPT system.”

Due to the differences in the statements released by both sides, Manchester City subsequently accused the Premier League of providing a “misleading” interpretation of the ruling.

Wenger believes that bringing 115 different charges against a football club nowadays makes it seem as if international affairs are being handled. He emphasized that the FFP rules must be reformed to make them simpler. He pointed out, “When Manchester City’s owner took over, there were no FFP restrictions, and the same goes for Chelsea. Chelsea bought players from us, Arsenal, and they could buy whoever they wanted because there were no FFP rules at the time.”

Many experts believe that some of the charges against Manchester City may be reduced or dropped. As FIFA’s Head of Global Football Development, Wenger noted that the Premier League’s rules are outdated and cannot adapt to the operating methods of clubs like Manchester City.

Historically, Manchester City has successfully dealt with charges from UEFA. In 2020, UEFA imposed a ban and a fine of over £28 million on Manchester City for alleged fraud and violations of FFP rules. However, with the help of a legal team comprising over fifty renowned lawyers, including David Pannick, Manchester City appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and ultimately won, overturning UEFA’s penalty decision.