12 May 2009Overspending clubs may have to sell players

Football Clubs News | Football Leagues/ Association and Governance | Other Football News

Debt-ridden English Premier League clubs could be forced to sell their best players under new rules to prevent teams from overspending.

The league's chief executive Richard Scudamore has announced a raft of new measures to clamp down on reckless behaviour in the current gloomy economic climate.

Under the proposals, which are expected to be passed into law next month, UEFA regulations on club finances would be adopted wholesale by the Premier League.

Such a move would mean that clubs could be prevented from bringing new players in or be forced into selling assets in order to remain solvent.

Responding to questions posed by culture secretary Andy Burnham last year, Scudamore said that the new rules will prevent a repeat of the circumstances that sent Leeds United into administration in 2004 after being forced to sell its players.

"At our level there really ought not to be any club that suffers an insolvency event but we have a system that should prevent it," Scudamore said.

"The way our rules are configured we are unlikely to be evicting anyone from the league so it's a question of finding other sanctions."

Last week, the Football Association revealed plans to deduct points from teams if their fans abuse the supporters, players or staff of an opposing club.

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