Former Liverpool star Didi Hamann has called on football’s governing bodies to act following the Premier League's decision to charge Man City over alleged financial breaches..
The allegations, which total over 100, come following a four-year investigation. The league has since brought various charges against to the club, running from the 2009/10 season through to the present.
UEFA banned Man City from competing in Europe in February 2020 due to FFP breaches, before it was overturned by the Court for Arbitration for Sport a few months later. City have remained under investigation by the Premier League ever since, with the focus being on a number of sponsorship deals and how manager and player remuneration was accounted for.
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Following news of the charges against Man City, Hamann - who made 283 appearances for Liverpool, as well as 71 for the Manchester club - has given his reaction to the news. The former Reds midfielder says that football's governing bodies, such as the Premier League and UEFA, need to act to create a “level playing field” for all clubs across Europe.
“Man City have been charged before by UEFA, I think Paris Saint-Germain has been charged before,” said Hamann, speaking to the ECHO, courtesy of Freebets.com.
“I just wonder what happens with Chelsea, with the money they’ve been spending the last 12 months.
“I think we need some common ground, because in Germany we’ve got a league where it’s not possible to spend as much money as you want. You can only spend what you generate.
“It’s the same in Spain and it’s the same in Italy. I think we need a level playing field, something needs to happen.
“People don’t want to see four English teams in the semi-final of the Champions League every season.
“I don’t want to say that it’s good that Man City have been charged, but I think it’s time for the leagues and for UEFA to act. Because it’s not possible that you have 20 teams in the Premier League and all lose money, and they get an awful lot of money from TV companies.
“Something needs to happen, but I’d be careful because these things have happened in the past and clubs found a way around it, so let’s wait and see.
“But something has to be done, which is essential for me.”
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