Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has broken ranks as the first Premier League boss to publicly address Manchester City’s high-profile financial regulatory verdict, claiming that budget inflation is a widespread practice across modern football.
Following an independent commission’s decision finding City guilty of serious Premier League financial rule breaches, scrutiny has intensified around the club’s historic dominance.
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However, Emery in an interview with The Sun, suggested that similar financial maneuvering extends far beyond the Etihad Stadium.
While acknowledging that the legal fallout is a matter for the courts and authorities to decide, Emery expressed sympathy for manager Pep Guardiola, emphasizing that off-field proceedings risk overshadowing an era of exceptional football.
“It’s an issue that was already known. We all have our restrictions and we have to sell players to comply – so we have to figure out how to draw up contracts with new people,” he said.
“Financial fair play seeks a balance so that what you generate is spent and there isn’t inflation. But yes many other clubs have inflated their budgets and now it’s coming to light.
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“I feel sorry about it, given how that team played. Under Guardiola, there were times when they were unbeatable.”
As Manchester City formally lodge their appeals against the verdict, Emery’s explosive comments are expected to spark a wider conversation across the English top flight regarding the enforcement and historical handling of Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations.
