It doesn’t take much to get under Jose Mourinho’s skin these days, but the Tottenham manager probably has a point when discussing UEFA’s protocols on FFP in light of the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s decision to reinstate Manchester City to the Champions League.
With clubs such as the Citizens and Paris Saint-Germain seemingly able to hoover up the best footballing talent at just about any price, FFP has previously been called into question by European clubs.
Now the Special One has gone in hard on the governing body for what he perceives as a lack of clarity surrounding the FFP rules.
“Consistency I like, clarity… I don’t like doubts,” said Mourinho in the wake of the decision to exonerate Man City, cited by BBC Sport.
“That is the only thing that disturbs. My opinion about FFP doesn’t change, like my opinion on VAR.
“When I said a few years ago I like the concept, I like the concept. What I don’t like is the interpretation of it, the people with the tools they have at their disposal.
“And Financial Fair Play is the same thing. When I say it should finish, it is not because I do not agree with the basic principle. It’s because I don’t agree with the circus.”
Clearly, UEFA have a way to go to appease the likes of Mourinho and his contemporaries, and it’s not something that can be rectified overnight.
For his part, Pep Guardiola doesn’t believe he or his club have anything to apologise for.
“We were exonerated for something we were accused of all the time,” Guardiola said on Tuesday, cited by BBC Sport.
“I don’t want to apologise for anything. I’m sorry guys. Manchester City don’t have to apologise because three independent judges decided we have done everything properly. It’s clear – more than clear.”
With Newcastle United takeover talks continuing, and the Magpies new owners able to blow both City and PSG out of the water with their spending power, clearly FFP is a ‘hot potato’ topic that needs to be dealt with as quickly as practicable.