UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin insists Milan’s situation “proves Financial Fair Play works” and called for new Italian stadiums.
The head of football in Europe sat down with the Corriere dello Sport for an exclusive interview.
Naturally, one of the main topics up for debate was Financial Fair Play, which saw Milan excluded from the Europa League only to be allowed back in on appeal after a change of ownership.
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin insists Milan’s situation “proves Financial Fair Play works” and called for new Italian stadiums.
The head of football in Europe sat down with the Corriere dello Sport for an exclusive interview.
Naturally, one of the main topics up for debate was Financial Fair Play, which saw Milan excluded from the Europa League only to be allowed back in on appeal after a change of ownership.
“The reason Financial Fair Play was introduced was first and foremost to ensure the financial stability of European clubs,” said Ceferin.
“The rules helped many clubs to improve their financial stability, forcing them not to spend any more than they earned. The result was an undoubted improvement in the health of European football.
“Now it is time to take the next step, which is why we recently tightened up the rules, increasing the transparency of clubs by forcing them to publish their financial information, including payments to agents.
“There will be more transparency in transfers and I can assure every club will be judged on the same criteria. We’ll also be ready to act with the aid of new financial indicators, which will allow us to more closely monitor the balance sheets.
“I am convinced this is another step in the right direction to guarantee financial stability to European football.
“The system is independent and I think everyone must appreciate the fact that Milan’s case proved Financial Fair Play works.”
Previous owner Yonghong Li defaulted on loan repayments long before the October deadline, so American hedge fund Elliott Management effectively repossessed the club.
Serie A sides face some particular challenges compared to other European leagues, most notably when it comes to building stadiums.
Most are owned by the city council and attempts to construct their own arenas have been fraught with difficulty, especially at Roma and Napoli.
“I am not the first to point out there is an infrastructure problem in Italy that prevents it from hosting major competitions,” continued Ceferin.
“Perhaps the shock of failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup will act as positive motivation, because clubs need help from the Government.
“Italy has an innate passion for football and a story of great success, but the infrastructure is key for the development of the game. I think this is their main challenge now.
“There have already been some projects, such as the restructuring of the Udinese stadium that will be used in next year’s European Under-21 Championship.
“The level of Serie A has improved a great deal in recent years. The clubs have become more competitive in UEFA tournaments and Italian football is back on the path of being more famous not just in Europe, but on a global market.”