The Mail reported that the Premier League is facing divisions over a new "salary cap" proposal, and the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) has threatened to initiate legal action if clubs vote to pass the rule, known as "...
The Mail reported that the Premier League is facing divisions over a new "salary cap" proposal, and the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) has threatened to initiate legal action if clubs vote to pass the rule, known as "anchoring".
It is known that both Manchester clubs are opposed to the proposal. One club executive warned that the move would "kill the world's No. 1 league" and felt the league as a whole was "passively heading towards a disaster".
The PFA had strong words in a statement, saying that even if they did not take action, "there will be clubs within the Premier League that will legally challenge this measure" and sarcastically said that "in the end the only winners are the lawyers." In response, a Premier League spokesman said the PFA had "multiple opportunities" to provide feedback on the proposal since March 2024.
This "top-down anchoring" rule is at the heart of the controversy, which limits clubs' spending on "football squad costs", including wages, transfer fee amortization and agent fees, to five times the broadcast and bonus income earned by the bottom team in the league.
Based on data from the 2023-24 season, this cap is approximately £550 million. The proposed penalties are extremely severe: an automatic deduction of 6 points for a second breach, and an additional 1 point for every £6.5m of overspending.
Critics worry that this will make it impossible for Premier League clubs to compete with Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern in terms of wages, leading to the loss of top stars such as Haaland and Salah. Ratcliffe called the move "ridiculous." Currently, three of the top five clubs in Europe by wage expenditure are not in the Premier League.
Reports revealed that the Premier League’s legal expenses have soared to “nearly 100 million pounds” due to legal disputes with clubs in the past two years. Some PFA insiders have revealed that they believe many clubs "have not yet fully understood the consequences of what they are being asked to vote on". Opponents also point out that the rule, which ostensibly controls spending, could actually "lead bosses to getting richer in the short term" because they can or need to spend less on wages.
This rule will be combined with the "line-up cost ratio" rule - which limits expenditure to 85% of revenue - to replace the existing three-year loss of 105 million pounds in the PSR.
Opponents also used data to refute the Premier League's claims of a "competitiveness issue," pointing out that four different teams have won the title in the past decade and that the team with the highest wage bill has only won the title three times in the past ten seasons.
This rule may have a disastrous impact on the English Championship. If the EFL follows suit, relegated teams will face a "salary cap" of around £40 million, with clubs like Leeds United, Leicester City and Southampton "automatically in breach".
A 25-page draft of the rules has been submitted to the clubs and a vote will be held on November 21. The rule needs more than two-thirds of clubs - 14 - to vote in favor before it can be implemented from next season.
source:livescore 7cn
