La Liga president feels Manchester City and PSG should be thrown out of European competition
What's the story?
La Liga president Javier Tebas believes that Premier League champions Manchester City and Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain should be kicked out of European competition for their violation of Financial Fair Play rules.
In case you didn't know...
Manchester City could be banned from the Champions League should the UEFA find merit in the alleged financial irregularities of the club's transfer policies.
Last week, UEFA announced that the investigation into the matter has been referred to the Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) adjudicatory chamber.
City were far from pleased with the decision but have expressed their confidence that the investigation will lead to a positive outcome for them.
PSG, on the other hand, have gotten out of their Financial Fair Play controversy unscathed after the Court of Arbitration for Sport closed the investigation in March this year.
The heart of the matter
Tebas, who has been in charge of La Liga for the past six years, has stated that Manchester City and PSG are "playthings of a state" and should be banned from European competition.
"There are clubs who could not care less what their real incomes are when they want to sign a player because they receive incomes from a state. It forces other clubs into an economic situation that is really living on the edge. It skews the balance of the entire European football structure.
"This is no longer sport. This is no longer an industry. It becomes more like a toy, the plaything of a state. And when it’s a plaything, kids start playing with other kids. You end up ruining the entire system.
"Indeed the origin of this entire problem with the Super League is the inflationary effect that Manchester City and PSG have created across the whole of Europe because the rest of the clubs in Europe want money to compete with these guys."
Tebas also warned English clubs about the dangers of the proposed European Super League, stating that it would ruin domestic football.
The proposed competition would mean the Champions League format will be replaced with four groups of eight teams and the qualification would be based on historical performance and not their standings in their domestic leagues.
"There’s a lot in play here but the future of European professional football is at risk. This is not a joke what is going on right now. And English fans need to know what every club thinks about this. Because the history of English football and its clubs is in danger. We need to be much more transparent about a Super League.
"But I would also like to say that the Super League model the ECA and Uefa are proposing right now, after 10-15 years it will fail. Because it lacks respect for the domestic component of the system they have created. National leagues have a culture of dozens of years of rivalries between clubs so it’s going to create a disconnect with fans."
What's next?
Whether Manchester City will get out of the independent investgation with no consequences remains to be seen.