UEFA are planning to make changes to Financial Fair Play Rules following Chelsea’s transfer spending under Todd Boehly.
Chelsea have splashed a whooping £405m on new signings since Todd Boehly took over the ownership of the club and have found a way to escape scrutiny by UEFA for a possible breach of Financial Fair Play (FFP) Rules.
The European football governing body is said to be planning sundry changes in the rules to close loopholes and checkmate massive transfer spending by clubs, with spotlights on Chelsea’s transfer spending.
The Blues have signed big-money players and have adopted a transfer strategy that has helped them avoid a clash with FFP Rules.
The Blues are spreading the transfer fees of the new signings over a number of years and by so doing avoid being penalized and sanctioned by UEFA.
The Financial Fair Play Rules limits the amount a club can spend annually on new signings to promote Fair Play while shielding the club from possible financial risks.
The likes of Mykhailo Mudryk joined the London club for heavy sums that would have placed the club on the radar of UEFA for breaking FFP Rules.
However, the extended contract terms have allowed the club to split transfer fees and payments over the number of years the contract will last.
Mudryk signed an eight-and-half-year deal with Chelsea. This means that he is now valued at £11m every year after the £89m transfer fee is spread through the eight years he will stay at the club.
France defender Benoit Badiashile and Ivory Coast striker David Datro Fofana are on a six-and-a-half-year deal.
Noni Madueke joined the London club on a seven-and-a-half-year contract after the arrival of Ukraine winger Mudryk.
Wesley Fofana signed a seven-year deal, while left-back Marc Cucurella joined on a six-year contract last summer, and Raheem Sterling on a five-year contract.
Chelsea’s transfer spending have now hit £405m, but the players’ long-term contracts has helped them comply with the regulations.
Following the strategy adopted by the Blues to beat FFP Rules after £405million transfer spending, the UEFA has reportedly move to set a five-year limit for the spread of transfer fees.
However, clubs will still be able to offer longer deals under UK regulations but will not be able to stretch transfer fees beyond the first five years, under the proposed new rule.
The change to FFP rules will come into force during the summer, but past deals undertaken and completed by clubs will not be affected.
The consequences of failing to comply with FFP Rules could be dire. It ranges from warnings, fines, outright ban from UEFA competitions, and confiscation of trophies.
Under Uefa’s current rules, clubs can spend up to 5m euros (£4.4m) more than they earn over a three-year period. They can exceed this level to a limit of 30m euros (£26.6m) if it is entirely covered by the club’s owner.
