Premier League overhaul: new fair play rules, strict cost limits | OneFootball

The Premier League decisively turns towards a new era. After weeks of negotiations, pressure, and underground alliances, the twenty clubs gathered today in London to vote on the reform that redesigns the entire framework of financial fair play. The proposal narrowly passed: 14 votes in favor, 6 against, the minimum required to change the rules.

Premier, green light in London: cap at 85%, fines and points deducted for exceeding

The core of the new system is simple only in appearance: salaries, commissions, transfers, and agent fees cannot exceed 85% of the club's annual revenue. A very strict safety belt, designed to curb the cost race that in recent years had caused more than one club to go bust. As reported by ANSA, for clubs engaged in European cups, the stricter UEFA limit of 70% will remain in force, but no exemptions in the Premier. There is total agreement, however, on the new multi-year sustainability rules: a package of checks and verifications designed to monitor the financial health of the clubs over several seasons, not just immediately.

The sanctions chapter is what sparked the debate: exceeding the 85% will trigger automatic fines, while those who exceed the so-called "red threshold" — 85% plus a 30% margin — will face point deductions, with a six-point deduction as a starting point. The extra margin will allow clubs to invest in advance on future revenues, but it will be reduced year by year until it almost disappears. Despite the opposition from clubs convinced that the new model will stifle investments and increase the gap between large and small clubs, the Premier League presses on: according to the League, the system will make the championship more competitive, more transparent, and more in line with European criteria.

Andrea Alati

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.