Nine clubs face UEFA financial fair play sanctions

Paris: Nine clubs are facing action under European football's financial fair play regulations, UEFA confirmed on Saturday.

In a statement on its website, European football's governing body explained that 76 of the 237 clubs who took part in this year's UEFA competitions had been requested to submit additional information.

"From that group, the examination as regards 67 clubs has come to an end and continues only in relation to the nine remaining clubs," it said.

There was no indication of the identity of the clubs involved, but a spokesman told AFP that only those nine would face possible action.

Many have been quick to speculate on which clubs might fall foul of the new regulations, with the names of big-spending Premier League title contenders Manchester City and Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain featuring prominiently among the list of likely suspects in recent weeks.

UEFA's Investigatory Chamber, which led the inquiry, has powers to impose sanctions, including heavy fines and a wage cap on the squads to appear in next season's Champions League.

The sanctions package is understood to be part of a settlement offer to the clubs, which they can accept or reject or try to reach an amicable settlement.

But if a club refuses to comply with the Chamber's ruling, their case would go to a tribunal which would rule on the matter in June.

The sanctions are designed to restrict expenditure on players by clubs who have breached the rules and help them in their efforts to comply with the limits on losses in future seasons.

Clubs can lose up to 45 million euros ($62.4 million, ?37 million) over the last two years under UEFA's rules.

City accumulated deficits of ?97.9 million in 2012 and ?51.6 million last year, but were able to write off sums spent on facilities, youth development and a number of other items.

Both Qatari-owned PSG and Abu Dhabi-owned City have a number of sponsorship deals related to their owners which the CFCB had to determine were of fair market value.

PSG effectively wiped out their annual losses of 130 million euros ($180 million, ?107.4 million) by announcing a back-dated sponsorship deal with the Qatar Tourism Authority worth up to 200 million euros a year.

UEFA president Michel Platini has already said he did not expect that any of the clubs involved would be barred from European competition next season.