Ajax and Liverpool Team Up to Demand UEFA Toughen Financial Fair Play Punishments

Wednesday, 17th October, 2012

Ajax and Liverpool have teamed up to demand UEFA toughen up their sanctions for clubs which breach the organisation’s financial fair play rules.

At present, UEFA can withhold prize money from clubs which are found to breach the rules. Europe’s governing body imposed their first punishments on 23 clubs this season, for failing to submit balanced accounts. However, 2014 is when the rules really start to swing into force.

relatedNewsStoryFor clubs like Ajax and Liverpool, who do not have the means to compete with clubs financed by oligarchs or billionaires, UEFA’s implementation of the financial fair play rules is their only hope of being able to compete at the top of the European game.

And the pair have demanded that UEFA look urgently at ensuring financial fair play operates the way it is supposed to.

"We need tough sanctions", said Ajax director Henri van der Aat.

"If you don’t pay the prize money to a club like Real Madrid, it will have no effect", he continued, pointing to what UEFA’s sanction is in line to be in the first instance.

And Van der Aat believes radical measures must be adopted.

"We must exclude clubs from the Champions League.

"The Champions League can survive without one or two of the best clubs, as there are plenty of good teams."

Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre backed the Ajax director, insisting that it is UEFA’s credibility which is at stake.

"It is very important for the credibility of UEFA to be hard on sanctions", said Ayre, before questioning the huge naming rights deals agreed by Manchester City with Etihad Airways, while Paris Saint-Germain are lining up a €100M deal with Emirates.

"We need a rigorous application of the regulations on related parties. There is a legitimate market with legitimate sponsorship contracts, which are reasonable, and must be respected."