Legendary former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been outspoken on Financial Fair Play regulations. The Frenchman won three Premier League titles and a record seven FA Cups during his time in the Gunners' managerial hot-seat.
However, he struggled to keep up with the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea during the final years of his reign in north London. Part of that was because of the spending power the two Premier League giants possessed.
The Premier League are currently investigating City after charging the reigning champions with over 100 alleged FFP offences. Back in 2020, the club faced a two-year ban from European football after UEFA found that they had seriously breached FFP rules, with the ban eventually overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), who also reduced the club's fine to €10million (£9million) from €30million (£26million)
When asked about City's situation at the time, Wenger was in fine form, joking about his transfer dealings with the Manchester-based club. "They bought all my players," he answered.
"I think this is a big question, you know, I think sport is basically to win by respecting the rules. That's what it is about. We celebrate the best in every sport but we want to know that they respect the rules.
"If there is no respect for the rules then it's not real sport, so that's what I think is the most important. The rules exist and you have to respect them. Once you go into a competition, it means you sign that you will adhere to the competition by respecting the rules.
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"I was always for control over financial rules and that clubs work with the natural income they have, the rules that have been created. I'm convinced that at the moment there is evolution to be made in the way the rules are at the moment, but they are what they are and you have to respect them.
"The people who don't respect them are caught by trying to get around the rules in more or less legal ways [and] have to be punished. If it's proven that this has been done on purpose you cannot let that go unpunished."
It remains to be seen what the outcome of City's investigation will be, with the Premier League announcing on Friday that Everton would be receiving a 10-point deduction after being found guilty of breaching FFP rules.
