UEFA have tightened regulations over third-party ownership of players across Europe after bowing to pressure from the Premier League.
France’s Ligue 1 and the Premier League are the only divisions that ban agents, sports agencies or other investors from part-owning footballers and both organisations lobbied UEFA to instigate similar rulings across Europe.
The Premier League decided to outlaw third-party ownership in 2008 after the Carlos Tevez affair, in which the striker moved from Corinthians to West Ham along with Javier Mascherano.
Agent Kia Joorabchian brokered the deal and was found to have had involvements in companies that part-owned both players, prompting the Premier League to fine West Ham, who avoided relegation that year thanks to Tevez’s winning goal at Manchester United.
UEFA’s rule changes do not ban third-party ownership but any split in a player’s economic rights must now be declared. Also, clubs that sell stakes in players to companies in return for investment cannot use that money to balance their books to meet UEFA’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations.
Such activity is banned by the Premier League but a number of European clubs have sold rights to players in an attempt to offset losses. It means European clubs no longer have a significant advantage over their Premier League counterparts in generating revenue through this type of player trading.
There continue to be doubts as to how effective FFP will be in limiting those that spend beyond their means. Clubs must balance their books over a three-year period to ensure they are eligible to compete in European competition, with the coming season the second year in the first cycle.
The 2014-15 season is the first that could see clubs omitted from the Champions League or Europa League should they fail to comply — the maximum loss over the first three-year period is 45m euros (just over £35m). Chelsea’s last accounts revealed a loss of £68m, although turnover hit a record £222.3m.
