UEFA have stepped up their efforts for financial fair play by threatening to ban players and use points deductions on clubs who fail to improve on their finances. In 2010 European clubs lost around £1.3 billion which is the worst statistics ever recorded for financial losses.

UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino revealed that clubs who don’t follow the rules may have to cut their squads for European competitions, if they keep buying players while they make huge losses. They will also deduct points from teams and possibly exclude some clubs.

Soon after Head of Illegal Affairs at UEFA Alistair Bell reiterated that no club regardless of their stature in the sport will be immune to these rules.

There has been a debate since financial fair play was first introduced that it favours the top European clubs. The FFP model is based on ensuring clubs survive on what they generate in income. Clubs such as Manchester United, Real Madrid and Barcelona generate the highest revenues, so surely they are the ones to benefit from such a model. But the one top club who is bound to welcome this news from UEFA with open arms is Arsenal. Arsenal never spend more than what they make (which is why they have struggled to compete with the richest clubs). Maybe this will see the rise of Arsenal again.