The club finance rules are being proposed by the Spanish football league (LFP), partly in response to Uefa's financial fair play initiative, which is seeking to get clubs operating within their means. Jose Maria Gay, a professor of economics at the University of Barcelona, estimates that La Liga clubs are nearly €4 billion in debt, and that spending last season of €1.7 billion outstripped income of €1.55 billion.

The flaw in the proposed rules is that extraordinary items such as the sale of players and real estate would be counted as income, said Gay, speaking to Reuters. “The sale of players or real estate happens only once in a while and the amount the clubs generate from these sources has diminished," Gay said. “The calculation of revenue must be based on ordinary income otherwise it would be a fatal mistake."

Contact
ESB Event Sport Business
ESB Marketing Consult AG
Andreas Gußmann
Head of International Relations
Brunneggstr. 9
CH-9001 St. Gallen
www.esb-online.com
info[at]esb-online.com