The Glazer Out Blog

Manchester City And FFP

I think everyone will have seen the latest news from Manchester City and there massive £197m lost but I don’t think anyone has really considered the figures and how they will get anywhere near meeting the UEFA Financial Fair play rules. Manchester City believe the Champions League money, sponsorship deals and winning the league will go to solving the problem of the massive losses. The figures below will show how this clearly isn’t the case.

First if we consider that Manchester United were paid a total £45m from UEFA, Barcelona were paid a total £43m and Tottenham a new team into the Champions League were paid £26m. Manchester City were paid £6m from the Europa League last season. The extra I’d expect they’d get would be no money than £20-24m.

Secondly lets consider the sponsorship deal reportedly worth £400m over ten years, that would be worth £40m a year unless they’ve been paid upfront or its for the youth development project when part of it wouldn’t count. City were already been paid £8m a season by Etihad Airways. That’s on average an extra £32m.

Then theres winning the league. Third placed Manchester City made £55.5m in prize and tv money from the Premier League. Manchester United league winners and you’re expecting this to be a lot higher only made £60.4m. That means if City did win the League between the two positions is a maximum of only £5m.

Adding those three areas up only comes into to an extra £61m on top of what they already earn. Even if they made what United made from the Champions League that would only be an extra £76m.

Then if we consider that Manchester City had a £174m wage bill for the 2010-2011 season, it seems a very very far fetched idea that the Champions League money or anything else would help solve a near £200m a season problem. It would still leave them at least £100m-120m off paying the wage bill and that break even point. I’m sure once the players bonuses for winning the Premier League and advancing into the Champions League come along that wage bill will increase. If we look at Chelsea, a club who have done all what City plan to do, they still have huge losses. My view, history and the figures say they will not meet Uefa Rules.