UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has warned that several European clubs are “compromising their economic sustainability” because of rising player salaries. These increased by 16% compared to levels prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, which started in March 2020.
The entity that controls football in the Old Continent released a report that shows that the collection grew by 4.6% among the associations, while the money from sponsors is 13% greater than that obtained before the start of the pandemic. The survey encompasses 150 clubs across Europe.
But there is concern about operational courses, which grew 11%. Financial expenses were 18% higher, with athletes’ salaries being pointed out as the main responsible.
“Salaries for top-flight players, for example, have more than doubled in the last decade,” Ceferin said.
“If this is not a negative trend per se, it is clear that many are compromising their economic sustainability in the reckless pursuit of success.”
The report shows a 108% increase in salaries for top division teams over the last 10 years, and growth has been continuous since 2019, even with the drop in revenue during the pandemic.
The January transfer window, according to Uefa, was dominated by English clubs, responsible for 31% of global activity (buys and sales) and 53% of purchases. Teams in the country spent 830 million euros (R$ 4.6 billion) on signings in the last month alone and received 100 million euros (R$ 560 million) in sales.
UEFA introduced a rule in 2022 limiting spending on salaries, transfers and agent commissions. In 2023, the limit with these costs will be 90% of the team’s revenue. In 2025, the percentage drops to 70%.
“The key to all of this is how to remain fair, rigorous and consistent”, said the president of the association, about the new rule.
The report comes days after news broke that Manchester City are being investigated by the Premier League for allegedly committing more than 100 breaches of “financial fair play” rules and accounting.
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