In recent months, four Championship teams have received transfer embargo for financial misconduct. Basically they have fallen foul of UEFA’s rules on how to run your club’s finances. The latest of these teams is Cardiff City, who find themselves in the midst of a promotion fight to the Premier League, and their transfer embargo has impeded the signings of Tony Watt and potentially Anthony Stokes.
The whole purpose of FFP was to counteract the effect of money in football and level the playing field for teams that don’t have the turnover of Manchester United or Real Madrid or unimaginably wealthy owners like Manchester City. It is also intended to prevent the building up of unsustainable debt at a club and stop situations like Portsmouth’s fall from grace. But, we have to begin to question the role of FFP in football when teams chasing promotion or fighting against relegation are being punished and prevented from operating their clubs to the full extent when the regulations have just recently been relaxed for the likes of Paris Saint German.
The Bluebirds were relegated from the Premier League in 2014 and have been attempting to return since but now that prospect and hope seems to be fading. Loop holes in the sanctions placed upon them still allows for loan signings, explaining the arrival of Lex Immers of Feyenoord, but without the ability to make permanent deals key first team player so far this season Tony Watt looks unlikely to return. Cardiff were a welcome diverse addition to the Premier League and should they return they would be a welcomed away day for most fans but FFP is distancing that possibility.
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The accounts of Cardiff City for the FFP breach period in question won’t be released till March but the alleged breach came due to the club taking in a loss of over £6m and is the second time in 6 years the club has faced embargo sanctions. The club have announced they believe they have trade within the FFP limits for 2015/16 and expect to participate in the 2016 Summer transfer window but this season could suffer.
Without add re-enforcements in January Cardiff’s position of 9th in the Championship Table looks unlikely to improve and their bid for promotion looks to have been severely depleted. If FFP was about balancing the playing field for smaller teams, then it has failed. If aspirational teams and fans are being failed by owners like Vincent Tan and their ability to run a well financed football club, then surely UEFA and the FA should’ve stepped in before he acquired the team.
The history between Cardiff City fans and owner Vincent Tan has been chequered to say the least; his changing of the kit colour to Red for the Premier League season being his most overt middle finger to tradition and the fans. This mishandling of the club finances has to be placed at his door as well as UEFA’s but it is the fans and players of Cardiff City that are really suffering.
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