During the 2017 summer transfer window, the football world was turned on its head when French powerhouse, Paris Saint-Germain (“PSG”), undertook a record-breaking spending spree.1 PSG purchased Neymar da Silva Santos Junior from Barcelona FC for approximately EU€221 million, breaking the previous record set by Manchester United’s EU€96 million purchase of Paul Pogba from Juventus during the 2016 summer transfer window.2 PSG followed this record-breaking purchase with a deal to purchase teenage French sensation, Kylian Mbappe, from AS Monaco FC for a future fee of approximately EU€178 million, made payable in 2018.3 These transfers have brought into question European football’s governing body, the Union of European Football Associations (“UEFA”), and its regulations intended to prevent exorbitant transfers and teams spending beyond their means. In 2010, UEFA promulgated rules intended to curtail clubs’ reckless spending and imprudent corporate governance. These rules are called the Financial Fair Play Regulations (“FFP”).
Gaetano Taormina