Manchester City v PSG is a reminder of the path not taken in sanctions battles
Gulf-owned clubs have faced Uefa scrutiny – their different approaches since have left one at the top table and one raging against the machine
TL;DR
- PSG and Manchester City were among the first clubs to break UEFA's financial fair play rules in 2014, with deficits of €218m and €188m respectively between 2011-2013.
- Both clubs avoided charges by signing settlement agreements, which involved financial penalties and spending restrictions.
- City faced a two-year Champions League suspension in 2020 for overstating sponsorship revenue (2012-2016), later overturned by the court of arbitration for sport.
- In 2022, PSG was fined an additional €10m by UEFA for non-compliance with financial rules since 2018.
- Last month, the Premier League found City in significant breach of spending limits between 2009-10 and 2017-18, which City has appealed.
- Gianni Infantino, then UEFA's general secretary, was reportedly involved in discussions that helped PSG and City avoid more severe sanctions in 2014.
- Brian Quinn, head of UEFA's investigatory chamber, resigned in 2014 amid reports that he considered the settlement agreements too lenient.
- PSG, represented by Nasser al-Khelaifi, is now a joint shareholder with UEFA in the Champions League commercial company, while City continues to challenge the system.