Rob Harris, who is a Global Sports Correspondent for the Associated Press, appeared on the latest edition of the Football Today podcast to discuss Monday’s Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruling which overturned Manchester City’s two-year ban from UEFA competitions and he shared his thoughts on what this ruling could mean for Newcastle United under their prospective new owners.
As per The Guardian, City were handed a two-year ban from UEFA competitions after they were found to have ‘seriously misled European football’s governing body and broken Financial Fair Play rules.’ However, this ban was overturned by CAS earlier this week, as reported by the BBC.
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Following this ruling, The Telegraph reported that UEFA will now be ‘under pressure to reform’ their Financial Fair Play rules. This report also described City’s success in overturning their ban as ‘a major embarrassment for the governing body.’
During this recent edition of the Football Today podcast, titled: ‘What does the Manchester City FFP case mean for football?’ Harris spent some time discussing what the case could mean for Newcastle United, who are currently subject to a Saudi-backed takeover bid that would see them overtake Manchester City as the club with the wealthiest owners in England’s top-flight.
Harris said: “As Newcastle’s new owners wait in the wings, and whether or not that deal is approved, the future of Financial Fair Play will have a huge bearing on whether or not they can mount a rapid rise to the top, or it has to be more long-term and they have to try to build up their revenue.
“Clubs like Newcastle would be looking at Manchester City and seeing how they can ensure that they are attracting more sponsors to ultimately provide the income to fund the transfers.”
Do you expect heavy investment in the playing squad if the Saudi-backed Newcastle United takeover bid is approved?YES
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TIF Thoughts…
If the ongoing Saudi-backed Toon takeover bid does receive the Premier League’s approval and the Toon do become the Premier League club with the wealthiest owners, then it may be reasonable to suggest that the club’s fans would expect their new owners to invest in the playing squad and compete with the Premier League’s best.
However, as per UEFA, Financial Fair Play requires clubs to ‘balance their spending with their revenues and restricts clubs from accumulating debt’ and complying with this rule could make it more difficult for a club like Newcastle United to mount a rapid rise thanks to funding from a new wealthy backer.
With that in mind, it may be understandable why Harris believes that “clubs like Newcastle will be looking at Manchester City” following this CAS ruling while planning their own future.