Javier Tebas defends equal rules after sanctions on Manchester City

LaLiga president Javier Tebas said on Sunday that transparency and equal rules for everyone are essential to protect the integrity and sustainability of football, after the recent guilty verdict against Manchester City on almost all charges of breaching the Premier League’s financial regulations.

Transparency and equal rules

Javier Tebas recalled that transparency and equal rules for everyone are essential to protect the integrity and sustainability of football. He cited his 2017 appearance at the Soccerex forum, where he denounced what he called “financial doping” in European football, pointing to Manchester City and PSG. He noted that some sponsorships were valued above market rates, which caused inflation of wages, transfers and costs that affect all clubs.

The LaLiga president emphasized that defending a model where sporting success depends on the management and generation of own resources, rather than external financial backing, does not imply attacking any specific club. He affirmed that he will continue to defend those principles despite the criticism and threats he has received over the years.

Sanctions and reactions

In February 2020, UEFA sanctioned Manchester City with two seasons of exclusion from its competitions and a €30 million fine for serious financial control breaches. The Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned the exclusion in July 2020 and reduced the financial penalty to €10 million, although it maintained the club’s lack of cooperation. Manchester City publicly described Tebas’s statements as “ill‑informed” and “pure fiction”, and announced that it would consider legal action against him.

Tebas urges tighter financial rules after Manchester City case

Tebas described the CAS decision as profoundly wrong and damaging to the credibility of the European football economic control system. He argued that the ruling showed a lack of consistency in the application of the rules, reinforcing his argument that the same rules must be applied to all clubs.

Future of the case

An independent Premier League commission has found 114 of the 115 financial infringements alleged against Manchester City to be proven, according to published information. Tebas noted that, almost nine years after his remarks at Soccerex, the process is still ongoing and the final sanction remains to be known. He reiterated that defending equal rules remains a priority for the integrity of football.

The contrast between Tebas’s long fight for transparency and Manchester City’s hostile response shows that the issue of economic sustainability remains central in the European football debate, and that any progress will depend on the uniform application of the rules.