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Javier Tebas
Javier Tebas, the president of La Liga, wants Uefa to investigate Manchester City’s spending. Photograph: Dave Thompson/Getty Images
Javier Tebas, the president of La Liga, wants Uefa to investigate Manchester City’s spending. Photograph: Dave Thompson/Getty Images

Uefa resists calls for investigation into whether Manchester City breached FFP rules

This article is more than 6 years old
La Liga president asked governing body to look into City’s finances
Uefa already investigating PSG over alleged FFP breach

Uefa will not launch an investigation into Manchester City’s summer transfer spending despite La Liga writing to European football’s governing body demanding it do so.

Uefa have received a letter signed by Javier Tebas, the Spanish league’s president, asking for its current investigation into whether Paris Saint-Germain have breached financial fair play regulations be expanded to include City. However, it is understood Uefa does not plan to investigate Pep Guardiola’s side, which is owned by the Abu Dhabi-based City Football Group.

A Uefa spokesperson said: “There is no investigation into Manchester City with regards to FFP regulations. Any reports mentioning such an investigation are unsubstantiated.”

In the summer window, Guardiola oversaw an initial £226m outlay on Bernardo Silva, Ederson, Danilo, Kyle Walker, and Benjamin Mendy. But City’s net spend was £133m as the club made a total £93m of sales as Wilfried Bony, Samir Nasri, Kelechi Iheanacho, Nolito, Fernando, Aaron Mooy, Aleksandar Kolarov, Jadon Sancho, Enes Unal and Oliver Ntcham all left for a fee. As FFP rules allow all clubs to make a £30m loss – add-ons are not factored in until triggered – and transfer prices are amortised over the course of a player’s contract, City would appear to have no concerns regarding any breach.

Making public La Liga’s request, Tebas said City and the Qatari-owned PSG are benefiting from state financing that “distorts European competitions” and “is irreparably harming the football industry” in the wake of the French club’s signings of Neymar for a world-record €222m (£198m), and Kylian Mbappé on an initial loan with an option to buy the player for a reported £166m fee.

Uefa opened a formal investigation into PSG’s transfer activity last week, in order to establish whether the club are complying with financial fair play regulations.

City Football Group, the parent company of Manchester City, purchased a 44.3% share of the La Liga side Girona in August. Pere Guardiola, brother of Pep, bought the same amount. It is not clear if La Liga have concerns about this, too.

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