Unai Emery has claimed that “many other” Premier League clubs have inflated their budgets, after Manchester City were found guilty of 114 of the 115 charges brought against them by the Premier League.
An independent commission found City guilty of the charges, with the club accused of running a “disguised funding scheme” that spanned 2009 to 2018. The scheme is believed to have hidden secret funding worth over £830 million.
City to appeal commission decision
City released a statement on Thursday confirming they would appeal the commission’s decision. No punishment has been decided yet, while City deny any wrongdoing.
The club claims the secret funding was paid by the Abu Dhabi state, rather than the Abu Dhabi United Group, the private investment company which owns the club. ADUG belongs to United Arab Emirates vice-president and deputy prime minister Sheikh Mansour.
Emery: Financial rules affect all clubs
Aston Villa manager Emery told Diario de Sevilla: “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.”
UEFA fines for Villa and others
Emery’s Villa were fined by UEFA in June for what the European governing body called a “significant breach” of its squad cost rule for the 2025 financial year. Chelsea, Nottingham Forest and Newcastle were also handed fines for respective breaches of UEFA’s rules.
Financial Fair Play was put in place to keep tabs on clubs’ spending and ensure outgoing cash aligned with incoming monies. City are accused of falsely inflating their sponsorship deals through “sham” contracts and agreements, which led to the Premier League charging them in February 2023.
