Brussels court blocks next stage of Uefa’s FFP rules

Opponents of Uefa’s Financial Fair Play rules are claiming an initial victory against the regulations after a court ruling.

A court in Brussels has referred a case submitted by several claimants to the European Court of Justice and imposed an interim measure blocking UEFA from activating phase two of its rules to cut the deficit clubs are permitted from 45million euros to 30million.

The claimants include Manchester City supporters and Paris St Germain fans as well as Belgian agent Daniel Striani. Manchester City and PSG were both sanctioned by Uefa last season for breaching the FFP rules, which state clubs in European competition must only spend what they earn, with some limited flexibility.

Uefa is preparing to make its own changes to the rules at an executive committee meeting in Prague next week and those amendments may fall in line with the court’s interim ruling.

Jean-Louis Dupont, the lawyer who is leading the case for the claimants, said: “As counsels for the claimants, we believe that this Belgian judgement is the right answer to the FFP issue. Let’s have the highest EU court examining peacefully its EU legality. We also are convinced that this breakthrough is one more reason for Uefa to adopt — on July 1 2015 — the amendments to FFP it has announced.”

Following the decision by the Brussels court, Uefa released a statement which said it “remains fully confident” that FFP rules are in line with European law.

The statement said: “The Brussels Court has declared itself incompetent to hear this case on the merits. However, at the same time, the court referred a question to the European Court of Justice and also indicated that the reduction of the so called ‘acceptable deviation’ from 45 million euro to 30 million euro should be provisionally put on hold.

“Uefa considers it strange that a national court having no competence to hear a dispute on the merits would, at the same time, refer a question to the European Court of Justice or make a provisional order.

“In any event, Uefa remains fully confident that FFP is entirely in line with EU law, and that the European Court will in due course simply confirm this to be the case.”

Uefa also said it would appeal the decision by the court and continue with the next stage of FFP implementation.

The statement added: “In the meantime, Uefa will appeal this decision of the Brussels Court to the Court of Appeal. Since an appeal automatically suspends the ruling of the lower court, it means that Uefa can proceed with the next phase of implementation of FFP, as already planned and as supported by the vast majority of stakeholders in European football as well as the European Commission, European Parliament and Council of Europe.

“Uefa is, in addition, considering further adjustments to the FFP rules in light of the substantially improved position in European football club finance which has been brought about directly as a result of the implementation of FFP.

“This matter will be considered by the Uefa Executive Committee when it meets in Prague next week.”