COLUMN: Financial Fair Play is not only for the big boys, just ask Getafe | OneFootball

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For years, Barcelona fans have targeted La Liga President Javier Tebas for his austerity measures with his famous ‘Financial Fair-Play’, which aims to restrict irresponsible spending in La Liga. Year after year, Barcelona President Joan Laporta chimes in the dispute with Tebas over such limitations, promising to improve the club’s wage bill every year. Yet FFP issues are not limited to the Catalan club, as Getafe have learned over this summer.

Everyone knows about Barcelona’s registration issues. Many La Liga fans recall the Josep Maria Bartomeu era as the epic epoch where President Bartomeu inflated the club’s wage bill. Forced to resign in 2020 with the looming threat of a vote of no-confidence, Laporta took over with the task of repairing the club’s economics. Five years later, the quest has not been completed yet.

Seasoned La Liga fans know about Sevilla, Real Betis or last year, Espanyol. The two Andalusian clubs have also struggled to register players in recent years, with a similar logic. Sevilla paid several veterans inflated salaries, resulting in an enormous wage bill. Real Betis, though less severe, ran into similar issues. It’s easy to argue this is typical of successful teams, overspending after a period of success. There is however one story that has picked up interest over the summer: the curious case of Getafe.

Image via Diario AS

Getafe is not a club associated with European glory, despite participating twice in the Europa League (2010-11 and 2019-2020). Under the guidance of Jose Bordalas, Getafe became known for ‘Bordalas-ball’, a playstyle which consists in defending in low blocks, with players unafraid of using an agricultural approach in their tactics. Players like Mauro Arambarri and Djene Dakonam were accused of “kung-fu fighting” by opposing fans. No doubt, Getafe punched above their weight, eventually landing in mid-table, at times even in the top half.

FFP, in the mind of many, was designed to limit the spending of top-tier clubs in La Liga. It aimed to avoid unsurmountable debts due to reckless spending, as seen in the past (Real Oviedo, Valencia, and Deportivo La Coruna are some famous examples). What was unknown at the beginning was that it could limit smaller clubs, too. Indeed, FFP limits spending relative to income. Smaller clubs like Getafe have a limited revenue as their stadiums aren’t as big (Getafe’s maximum attendance is 16,800 seats), in addition to finding less lucrative sponsorship deals due to the lack of branding.

Getafe, unlike other clubs hit by FFP, cannot be blamed for ridiculous signings or an inflated wage bill. Their signings have usually been modest ones, in line with the club’s reality. Getafe President Angel Torres did not hold back upon learning he had to sell: “We say that we are the best league in Europe, and then we cannot register our own players: we have become the laughing stock of Europe”. This weird set of circumstances led to a unique situation between Getafe’s board and Christian Uche, arguably the team’s most important forward. At the age of 22, he did not want to leave.

But Santa Claus was not summering in Getafe, and Uche’s wishes were not to be fulfilled. Soon, the club rushed to sell the most valuable asset of the team. First headed to France against his will, Uche will finally relocate to rainy London, in colours of Crystal Palace. The English club could offer a higher fee, which is convenient for club president Torres. Similarly to most deals in the business world, money solved it.

Of course, FFP decimates teams, and is complicating the lives of several clubs in La Liga. Getafe’s case is not isolated. On the other hand, it’s difficult to argue against the benefits of FFP. It promotes stability, above all. Prior to its inauguration, Spain saw more than one or two clubs fall off the financial cliff and disappear in oblivion. In this sense, FFP has become a success, no major club has collapsed in recent years.

Everything can work out, yet the world remains unfair. FFP does not exist (not with such harsh austerity) in other top leagues, forcing a international divide according to different governance methods in different countries. This may be the biggest issue, where only UEFA can intervene. Football often becomes a reflection of a wider societal issue. England has always been richer than Spain, it is no wonder that at least until Brexit, many young Spaniards moved to the UK every year because of the lack of employment and decent wages back home.

El presidente de LaLiga, Javier Tebas. EFE/ Quique García

What many fans ignore is that this reality also translates to football. This is not only a Spain-England issue, this is a continental problem. Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany talked about it when asked by a journalist why so many players leave for the Premier League:

The issue with FFP is not itself, but that it operates with limited reach. Every rule intends one thing but almost always has unintended results in another. Tebas has been warned by many club presidents, who voted for his reforms, about the dire situation, no matter their placement in the league.

As he continues his attempts export La Liga in the United States, while claiming that piracy remains a major issue, it may be time to reflect on the impact of FFP. Is this what FFP intended, to hurt clubs like Getafe? Financially healthy, but at what cost? These are all questions that remain unanswered. It should not be forgotten that Tebas did not emerge out of the blue: he was democratically elected by a majority of La Liga club presidents. If he does not represent the will, then club representatives can only blame themselves for continuing to support a man they continuously gripe with through open media channels.