Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has said that "many other clubs have inflated their budgets" in the wake of Manchester City's guilty verdict on 114 Premier League financial charges.
City have lodged an appeal after an independent commission found them guilty of 114 of the 115 charges levelled against them. The club was found to have operated a "disguised funding scheme" between 2009 and 2018 to conceal secret funding exceeding £830million.
Emery's assessment
Emery has emerged as the first league boss to speak publicly about City's situation. Asked by Diario de Sevilla about the potential impact on the division, he said: "It's an issue that was already known. Because we all have our restrictions, we have to sell players to comply with Financial Fair Play, we have to figure out how to draw up contracts with new people."
"Financial Fair Play seeks a financial balance so that what you generate is spent and there isn't inflation. Yes, many other clubs have inflated their budgets, and now it's coming to light, and naturally there's a decline."
"That's something that the courts and those responsible will have to decide. I feel sorry because how that team played. With [Pep] Guardiola, there were times when they were unmatched."
Club penalties and City's defence
In June, Aston Villa received a £19.4m fine from UEFA for a "significant breach" of its squad-cost rule for 2025. Chelsea, Nottingham Forest and Newcastle were similarly penalised for violations of UEFA's rules, which differ from the Premier League's.
Financial Fair Play regulations are intended to control clubs' expenditure and ensure their outgoings broadly align with their income. By artificially inflating sponsorship agreements, City were allegedly able to circumvent the system.
City maintain that the funds concerned originated from the Abu Dhabi government, rather than owners Abu Dhabi United Group. ADUG is a private investment company belonging to United Arab Emirates vice-president and deputy prime minister Sheikh Mansour.
Potential repercussions
The club has consistently denied any wrongdoing, claiming they possess 'irrefutable evidence', and their choice to lodge an appeal ensures the proceedings will extend considerably longer. However, they could be forced to confront severe repercussions, with the commission having the authority to levy substantial fines, deduct points, or even enforce relegation.
There have also been demands that the titles City secured throughout the nine-year period under scrutiny be removed, though this remains unlikely.
