LONDON, Feb 6 (Reuters) - UEFA president Michel Platini plans to
step up his efforts to introduce financial controls on top clubs in
the wake of Manchester City's world record bid to sign AC Milan's
Brazil forward Kaka in January.
Platini told a news briefing in London that a number of experts
were examining proposals to help level the financial playing field
for clubs in the Champions League and Europa League, which replaces
the UEFA Cup from next season.
Referring to the failed bid for Kaka by Premier League City, who
became the world's richest club after being taken over by the Abu
Dhabi United Group last year, Platini told reporters:
"How one guy can cost 150 million euro ($192.2 million) is
ridiculous from a social, football and financial point of view.
"If you want to buy a boat for 150 million or a plane you can do
that, but for a man? That is bad and that is why we have to do
something, to create a more equal playing field."
"I have a philosophy, shared by 99 percent of the football
people in Europe that we have to do something about having
transparency and fairness in the regulations.
"I am listening to the (financial) experts about what we can do
-- but it is not easy because the rules of finance are not the same
in Germany, or Italy or France.
"But we have to do something because it is not good for
football's popularity. My philosophy is that in football there has
to be the chance for everyone of one day winning something. For me,
football is a game not a product.
Platini will put forward proposals on financial controls in
March at a meeting of UEFA's Strategy Committee, which represents
leagues, associations and players, but they will only affect
European club competitions and not domestic leagues.
MANY PROPOSALS
Proposals being touted include stopping clubs spending more than
their revenue, limiting spending on wages to a fixed proportion of
income and restricting squads to 25 players.
"Many clubs support me on this and the president Karl-Heinz
Rummenigge and vice-president of the ECA (European Clubs
Association) support me. They represent the major clubs and fully
agree that we must change the system.
"It will take time to do that, maybe two or three years, because
we have to respect the current contracts of the players.
"We have many ideas, perhaps including a salary cap, there are
many proposals, but basically clubs need to live within their
means."
Platini said the problem was not just an English one even though
the Premier League is now the richest in the world.
"It's not an English problem, it's a European problem and I have
to find a good system which allows everybody a chance to win," said
Platini.
He added that clubs who do not abide by any new system of
financial regulation put in place, could lose their places in UEFA
competitions.
Platini also said he wanted a debate about changing the transfer
rules so that a player cannot represent more than one club in the
same competition in any given season.
"For me when you play for one club in a competition and then
play for another in the same competition in the same season it is
not ethical.
"I also think a player should play for at least a season, not
three months. We'll speak about that at the next FIFA football
committee," he added.
David Beckham's three-month loan move to AC Milan from LA Galaxy
has drawn attention to the loan system.